Abdul El-Sayed Mocks Trump in Victory Speech After Becoming First Muslim US Senator

Abdul El-Sayed made history Tuesday night by winning Michigan’s open Senate seat and becoming the first Muslim ever elected to the U.S. Senate. The 42-year-old doctor and public health expert defeated former Republican congressman Mike Rogers in one of the most closely watched midterm races in the country.

Standing before cheering supporters after the result became clear, he thanked the people who backed him and then took clear shots at President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

In the speech he recalled how voters had taken a chance on the unlikeliest of candidates and welcomed him into their homes, churches, and synagogues. The campaign had been long and brutal. Trump and Vance repeatedly attacked El-Sayed over his Muslim faith and his name. At an event in Iowa just days before the election, Trump called him a “jihadist lunatic” and said Congress would need a special metal detector for him if he won. The president also labeled him a communist and tried to link him to the Muslim Brotherhood. At other rallies Trump simply referred to him as “Mohammed.”

El-Sayed had pushed back throughout the race by arguing that his opponents preferred to divide people rather than talk about everyday problems like the rising cost of gas and groceries. He said Trump and his administration had failed ordinary Americans and wanted an America that was too small for some of them. In the speech he told the crowd that America is big enough for all of us.

Earlier in the campaign, when Trump floated the metal detector idea, El-Sayed answered with a direct challenge. He said he would walk through a metal detector every day if the president would sit for a lie detector test, bringing up Trump’s past relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and the 2020 election.

In the victory speech itself he first turned to Vance. “Habibi, there is this delicious irony in the fact that you’re constitutionally obligated to swear me in, in January.” Then he looked toward Trump. “Donald, I know you struggled with my name. So after JD swears me in in January, you can just go on and call me ‘Senator.’”

Donald Trump has not yet commented on the remarks.