Michigan Senate Candidate Abdul El-Sayed Defends Against Muslim Brotherhood Ties
Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed clashed with NBC over his family's Muslim Brotherhood ties and framed Israel as a U.S. threat, drawing sharp criticism from President Donald Trump.
Progressive Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan clashed with NBC host Tom Llamas over his half-sister's tweets regarding family ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, later framing Israel as a threat to the United States.
The interview aired following El-Sayed's sweeping denial on NBC's 'Meet the Press' on Sunday. Host Kristen Welker asked if he or his family had ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, and he replied in the negative. However, old tweets from his half-sister, Iman Abdul Hadi, a lecturer at the University of Chicago, painted a different picture.
Family Ties and Media Confrontation
In a 2012 tweet, Abdul Hadi wrote: 'My family has long been in the Muslim Brotherhood.' In another tweet, she described a conversation with their mother, Faten Alkomy, about her activism in the movement as a student in Egypt in the early 1970s, expressing admiration. In 2013, she wrote that family members were imprisoned for their membership and prayed for the safety of relatives who supported it in Egypt.
Llamas read the tweets and asked for an explanation. El-Sayed emphasized that he was born and raised in Michigan and wondered why he was being asked about Egypt in the 1970s. When asked directly about his mother, he said he had never spoken to her about the issue and called relying on the tweets 'hearsay.'
'You are implying that I somehow lied?' the candidate asked. 'I don't know. That's why I am asking,' Llamas replied. El-Sayed insisted he had not lied.
Criticism of Israel and Trump's Remarks
Later, he was asked about his refusal during a debate last week to determine whether Iran or Israel is more dangerous to the U.S. In response, El-Sayed accused Israel of increasing global conflicts: 'There is practically more war in the world because of what Israel is pushing us into. We never should have fought Iran.' He reiterated that both countries pose a threat, arguing that an ally pushing Washington into war does not enhance American security.
El-Sayed also attacked U.S. spending on arms for Israel: 'Last month alone we paid $2.8 billion for 2,000-pound bombs,' he said, wondering how 'purchasing bombs for a foreign government contributes to the security of Americans.'
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump addressed El-Sayed's ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. Speaking to reporters in Arizona, he escalated the attack against the Michigan candidate. 'Abdul, or as I call him, Mohammad El-Sayed, is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood,' he claimed. 'He said it years ago, he was a proud member.' Trump added: 'You cannot have a member of the Muslim Brotherhood in Congress, sitting on one of our security committees.'
The controversy comes less than three weeks before the midterm elections on November 3, in a tight race against Republican Mike Rogers for the seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peters. The results in Michigan could impact control of the Senate.
