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JD Vance steps up extreme attacks on Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed
The Guardian • • nation
Key Points:
- JD Vance, Republican Senate candidate in Michigan, intensified his attacks on Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed by accusing him of potentially leading rioters to "burn down" Detroit, linking El-Sayed to violent protests in Paris and leftwing commentator Hasan Piker.
- El-Sayed, who could become the first Muslim US senator, has faced Islamophobic attacks from President Trump and allies, including being labeled a “jihadist” and accused of siding with terrorists.
- Trump and Vance have framed El-Sayed’s candidacy around fears of immigration and social unrest, using his faith and name to stoke division amid the midterm elections.
- El-Sayed condemned these attacks as a distraction from key issues like healthcare affordability and rising living costs, emphasizing the Islamophobic nature of the campaign against him.
- Observers and politicians, including Senator Chris Murphy, have noted this election cycle features the most intense wave of Islamophobic rhetoric in US politics since 9/11, warning of a coordinated effort to delegitimize Muslim Americans.
