US Vice-President JD Vance launched a sharp personal attack against Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed on Monday night, calling him a “very, very evil” figure who wants to divide the country.
Speaking at a campaign rally in a Detroit suburb, Vance campaigned on behalf of candidate Mike Rogers, a former law enforcement officer backed by Donald Trump. During the event, Vance focused heavily on El-Sayed, accusing the 41-year-old Muslim candidate of working to “destroy” the nation.
“I realise that there’s something about Abdul El-Sayed that is very, very evil and on the rise in the United States of America today,” Vance said during the rally.
Vance warned El-Sayed to “keep my wife’s name the hell out of your mouth.” The warning followed earlier comments from El-Sayed regarding Second Lady Usha Vance, who is Hindu. El-Sayed had suggested that Vance’s late grandfather would not have accepted her.
During his speech, the vice-president connected El-Sayed to controversial far-left influencer Hasan Piker, a Twitch streamer who previously suggested the US “deserved” the September 11 terrorist attacks. El-Sayed campaigned alongside Piker during his primary run.
”My message to Abdul El-Sayed is: You can pal around with terrorist sympathisers, and you can say that America deserved 9/11, or you could empathise not with the children who were targeted at Temple Israel, but with the attacker,” Vance said.
El-Sayed never made those statements about the 9/11 attacks and has since distanced himself from Piker.
El-Sayed responded to Vance during an interview with CNN later on Monday, turning the vice-president’s language back against the administration. He accused the administration of pushing “evil” policies at home and abroad.
”Evil is ripping healthcare away from working people in exchange for tax breaks for billionaires,” El-Sayed said. “Evil is making people pay more for groceries and gas while pushing for trade wars and actual war. Evil is dividing people for your own gain. Evil is selling out your morals for a little bit of power.”
El-Sayed also addressed his previous remarks about Vance’s family, saying he was trying to show that Vance “believes in a political philosophy that says that some people are somehow more American than others.” He added that the administration is “starting wars abroad when there’s peace.”
The exchange highlights the tense climate in the Michigan Senate contest, which has turned into a heated battle marked by sharp personal attacks between El-Sayed and Rogers.
Michigan remains a crucial political battleground. Former President Joe Biden won the state in 2020, while Donald Trump took the state in 2024. The contest stands out as one of the most watched races in the upcoming midterm elections.
A survey published earlier this week by Michigan firm Epic-MRA shows El-Sayed holding a narrow four-point lead over Rogers.
