US President Donald Trump delivered a scathing verbal attack on Wednesday directed at progressive politician Abdul El-Sayed following his victory in the Michigan Democratic primary election the previous evening.
“When I watch Abdul, he’s full of s--t," Trump remarked during an appearance in Nevada, proceeding to denounce El-Sayed as a “man of hate" and characterizing him as a hater of Jewish people.
“He's a communist. And the polls were wrong again last night when they thought it would be a landslide victory for a hater of Jews and a hater of Israel," the President declared.
Elaborating on his criticism, Trump added, “This guy hates Jews. Somebody said, ‘Oh, that's a little strong’. No, he hates Jews and he hates Israel…He's a man of hate. And now he's going around saying, ‘No, I love everybody.’ He doesn't love everybody. Put him in office. You're going to find out what he loves."
The President further stated that the primary victor “doesn't love Israel. He doesn't love Jewish people. He hates them. He hates them with a passion that burns in his heart."
Looking ahead to the general election, Trump expressed confidence that Republican nominee Mike Rogers, whom he labeled a "great candidate", would prevail over El-Sayed in the upcoming Senate contest.
“Actually, we do better against the communists, according to every poll. The poll says we do better against the communists. So he won. And so I think I'm happy. I put out a statement: Congratulations to the Republican Party."
El-Sayed secured the Democratic nomination after defeating Representative Haley Stevens, an establishment-backed candidate with strong pro-Israel alignment, in Tuesday's primary election.
The primary result marks a significant setback for the Democratic Party's pro-Israel faction as well as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), whose extensive political spending elevated the Michigan contest into one of the most prominent Democratic primary battles concerning Middle East policy in recent history.
Throughout his campaign, El-Sayed positioned resistance to US military assistance for Israel and criticism of Israeli military actions in Gaza at the forefront of his platform. He publicly accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, called for an end to unconditioned foreign aid to the nation, and stated in a broadcast interview that the Israeli government is "as evil as Hamas."
The political stakes in Michigan were particularly elevated given the state's substantial Arab American and Muslim American demographics, alongside its central role in the 2024 Democratic presidential primary's "uncommitted" movement, which mobilized voters against the Biden administration's policy toward the conflict in Gaza.
El-Sayed's campaign garnered high-profile endorsements from prominent progressive figures, including Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, both of whom have frequently criticized the Israeli government's policies themselves.