PORT HURON: President Donald Trump intensified attacks on Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed at a Michigan rally on Sunday, as election disputes continued in California and Alaska.
Trump questioned El-Sayed’s loyalty to the United States and portrayed him as a national security threat. His remarks targeted the Democrats’ bid to defeat Republican candidate Mike Rogers in a closely watched Senate contest.
El-Sayed, who could become the first Muslim senator in US history, has rejected allegations linking him to extremist organisations. He has criticised attacks questioning his loyalty.
Bishara Bahbah, a founder of Arab Americans for Trump, condemned the president’s comments as “racist”. He argued that such remarks were unacceptable and could alienate Arab American voters.
Rogers separately challenged NBC’s Kristen Welker during a Sunday interview about allegations concerning El-Sayed and the Muslim Brotherhood.
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Welker pointed to the Democrat’s previous denials, but Rogers accused her of defending his opponent. Michigan is among the states where Senate results could affect which party controls Congress’s upper chamber.
Meanwhile, the US Department of Justice is seeking to set aside as many as 20,000 mail ballots in California. Federal officials suspect some of the voters may be noncitizens.
During Sunday’s hearing, two federal appeals court judges questioned the administration’s legal arguments. They raised concerns about jurisdiction, the lawsuit’s timing and federal authority over state election procedures.
California officials disputed the government’s voter list’s reliability. They warned that withholding ballots could prevent eligible voters from having their votes counted.
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In Alaska, Attorney General Todd Blanche defended a separate lawsuit concerning the Senate race between Republican Dan Sullivan and Democrat Mary Peltola. The administration wants to prevent certification under certain circumstances if Sullivan loses.
Officials argue that another candidate with the same name could confuse voters under Alaska’s ranked-choice system. Peltola criticised the lawsuit, and Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski also opposed it.
Elsewhere, former President Barack Obama endorsed Democrat David Jolly in Florida’s gubernatorial contest against Trump-backed Republican Byron Donalds. Voters will head to the polls on November 3, with control of Congress at stake.
