Trump urges voters to send Abdul El-Sayed 'back to where he came from'

DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA: President Donald Trump on Friday, October 30, intensified his attacks on Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed at a rally in Daytona Beach, Florida, urging voters to reject him and demanding that he be sent “back to where he came from.” 

Trump also told Black and Jewish voters they were “not smart” if they supported El-Sayed, repeating remarks similar to those he made at a South Carolina rally just one day earlier. The consecutive attacks came days before the November 3 midterm elections, as El-Sayed faces Trump-backed Republican candidate Mike Rogers in a closely contested Michigan Senate race.

Trump tells Black and Jewish voters to reject El-Sayed at consecutive rallies

During the rally, Trump turned his attention to Michigan after addressing supporters in the audience wearing “Blacks for Trump” shirts. The president urged them to vote for Rogers and made unsubstantiated claims about El-Sayed's views towards Jewish and Black Americans.

"Blacks for Trump, you ought to vote for Mike Rogers," the president said before claiming that El-Sayed "does not like" Jewish or Black people.

"Not that other guy, because he doesn't like Jewish people and he doesn't like Black people. I'm talking about Abdul. Abdul is not a big fan of Jewish people, and he's not a big fan of Black people. And I hope you're going to vote against him and send him back to where he came from," Trump said.

El-Sayed was born in Rochester Hills, Michigan, in 1984 to Egyptian immigrant parents. If elected, he would become the first Muslim to serve in the US Senate.

Trump also called the Democratic nominee a muslim extremist and recounted conversations he claimed to have had with Jewish and Black friends about the Michigan election. He said both had asked him for advice on how to vote, before describing how he had urged them to support Republicans.

"No, if you're Black or if you're Jewish, and you vote for Abdul, you're not smart. I'm being nice. You're not smart," Trump told the audience.

Trump made similar remarks at another campaign rally just a day before

The remarks echoed his statements at a rally in South Carolina, on Thursday, October 29, where Trump similarly singled out Black and Jewish voters who might support El-Sayed. "If you're Black or if you're Jewish, and if you vote for Abdul, you're crazy, ok?" Trump said. "You're crazy. You're crazy anyway."

At the South Carolina event, Trump also repeated allegations linking El-Sayed to the Muslim Brotherhood, saying that “they have a guy running now who's definitely Muslim Brotherhood." El-Sayed has repeatedly denied such allegations.

The consecutive attacks have placed El-Sayed at the centre of Trump's campaign appearances outside Michigan, with the president repeatedly urging voters in the state to support Rogers. The Republican candidate has also described El-Sayed as a national security risk.