WASHINGTON, D.C. – We are now eight days away from Election Day. Candidates are in the final stretch of their campaigns. According to the latest polls, some Democrats are gaining some ground ahead of their Republican opponents.
In Michigan where the open Senate seat is one of the big races to watch, the President rallied for Republican candidates over the weekend, including Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers. At the rally, the President embraced Islamophobic rhetoric towards the Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed.
“I’m here to keep a Jihadist Muslim Brotherhood member from becoming a United States Senator, and that’s the fact,” said the President at a rally in Michigan. “We’re not going to let that happen.”
If El-Sayed is elected, he would be the first Muslim senator. Throughout his comments on Sunday, the President did not give any evidence for the claims about El-Sayed. In response to Trump, who also regularly mocks El-Sayed’s name, this is what El-Sayed said at a rally: “I don’t care how he pronounces my name,” said El-Sayed. “I don’t even care if he remembers my name but he can call me Senator after November.”
Up in Alaska, the Trump administration filed a lawsuit to block the certification of the senate race if incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan loses. The Justice Department claims that potential confusion over candidates with similar names is the reason for the suit.
Alaska’s other Senator, Republican Lisa Murkowski (R- AK), who endorses the incumbent senator seeking reelection, shared on social media, saying in part: “The state of Alaska has already handled this by clearly distinguishing the candidates on this year’s ballot. The Department of Justice should have never filed this lawsuit.” But Trump says otherwise.
“I think it’s illegal because it’s unfair,” said Trump. “So, we’re before the court to see what we can do but people are totally confused, and they shouldn’t be confused when voting. At least let him use the name Senator Dan Sullivan as opposed to incumbent because a lot of people don’t know what incumbent means.”
