Trump misnames Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan Senate race

President Donald Trump misnamed Michigan US Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed on Oct. 8, calling the Muslim candidate “Mohammed” and accusing him of being a “Terrorist Sympathizer.”

El-Sayed, an Arab American running for a Michigan Senate seat, responded that Trump “knows my name.” He accused Trump of “using my name and faith to distract us from the suffering his politics are inflicting on us.”

El-Sayed's middle name is Mohamed, but he does not use it publicly. Trump and his supporters have accused El-Sayed and his family of ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and Al-Qaeda.

Trump also said El-Sayed, who is in a close race with Republican Mike Rogers, was the “best friend” of left-wing influencer Hasan Piker, who campaigned for El-Sayed.

The Michigan seat is considered important to Democratic hopes of regaining control of the US Senate in the November midterm elections. El-Sayed has been backed by progressive leaders including Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Elizabeth Warren, as well as the United Auto Workers union.