US President Donald Trump has accused Democratic candidates in the upcoming midterm elections of being “jihadists,” in remarks that have sparked renewed concerns over anti-Muslim rhetoric in American politics.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Monday, Trump said that “jihadists” were being elected in different parts of the United States and questioned whether Americans wanted to live under such circumstances.
Although Trump did not initially identify a specific candidate, he later targeted Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic Senate candidate who recently won his party’s primary in Michigan. El-Sayed is the son of Egyptian immigrants.
Trump also shared a photo of El-Sayed with his wife, Dr Sarah Jukaku, alongside a caption warning Americans that they were “coming for your home and your belongings.”
Last week, Trump described El-Sayed as a “hater of Jews” and “hater of Israel,” while claiming that his election would bring “crime, death, destruction” and embarrassment.
Several Republican politicians have also intensified their criticism of Muslim political candidates. South Carolina Representative Nancy Mace described Muslim public officials as a potential national-security threat, while Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville called El-Sayed a “terrorist” and a “radical Islamist.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) condemned Trump’s rhetoric, saying that such statements could place Muslim elected officials at greater risk and contribute to rising anti-Muslim discrimination.
El-Sayed, meanwhile, responded to Trump’s personal attacks during an interview on CNN, saying that he and his wife “actually like each other” while making a sarcastic comment about Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.
The controversy comes less than 90 days before the US midterm elections, in which all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 34 Senate seats will be contested.
With Democrats showing growing momentum, the election campaign is increasingly becoming a battle over the direction of the country, with Trump and Republican allies portraying some progressive Democratic candidates as a threat to national security and American society.
Trump said Americans did not want “radical lunatics” involved in running the country, further escalating the political rhetoric ahead of the November elections.
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