Backlash after Trump invokes 9/11 in attack on El

Key Points:

• US President Donald Trump faced backlash after accusing Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed of being "a jihadist" and invoking 9/11 during a Michigan rally, introducing the father of a 9/11 hero to emphasize his point.
• Critics condemned Trump's remarks as Islamophobic, with El-Sayed and Senator Bernie Sanders responding by highlighting the focus on real economic issues rather than religion or name.
• The Michigan Senate race, a key contest in the midterms, is highly competitive and could influence the balance of power in Congress; El-Sayed would be the first Muslim US Senator if elected.
• Trump and El-Sayed's opponents alleged ties between El-Sayed and the Muslim Brotherhood, citing past writings and family statements, but El-Sayed has denied any such connections and affirmed his loyalty to the US.
• Even some of Trump's former supporters, such as Arab Americans for Trump founder Bishara Bahbah, criticized the president's rhetoric as crossing a "red line" and being racist.