Trump mocks Michigan’s progressive and calls him a ‘jihadist’ as president campaigns in Iowa

Trump mocks Michigan’s progressive and calls him a ‘jihadist’ as president campaigns in Iowa Trump went after Abdul El-Sayed, James Talarico and Ilhan Omar at his rally in Sioux City, Iowa, as he stumps for Republicans ahead of November’s midterms - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in Donald Trump mocked progressive Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, who is running for U.S. Senate in Michigan, and called him a “jihadist” as the president campaigned in Iowa. Trump was in Sioux City to stump for Republican Ashley Hinson, who is running for U.S. Senate against Democrat Josh Turek, and made the appearance after banning The Independent from the trip following the president's attack on reporter Andrew Feinberg earlier in the week. The president compared Turek to “extremists” such as El-Sayed and Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico in Texas and Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota. “How about the gentlemen from a place called Michigan? He’s a jihadist,” Trump exclaimed. El-Sayed, who is Muslim, disavowed the global Islamist organization known as the Muslim Brotherhood at a town hall in Caro, Michigan, over the weekend after being asked to by an attendee if he would do so. But he also asked the man why he would ask such a question. “You’re asking the question because implicitly you assume that I’ll have dual loyalties,” El-Sayed said. “You assume that somehow I wouldn’t disavow. Or that I’ll have some higher order, allegiance than to the Constitution.” Trump was campaigning in Sioux City for Hinson and Zach Lahn, who is running for Iowa governor against Democrat Rob Sand. Both Hinson and Lahn’s races remain tight in a state that Trump won in the 2016, 2020 and 2024 presidential elections. Turek is leading Hinson 48 to 45 percent, while Sand is ahead of Lahn 52 to 45 percent among likely voters in Iowa, according to a recent Marist Poll. Feinberg, White House correspondent for The Independent, was supposed to travel with Trump to Sioux City on Air Force One — until he got on the president’s bad side for asking questions the president didn’t like during a Tuesday Oval Office event. At one point, Trump called Feinberg a “sick person” and said, “I actually think there’s something wrong with you.” Feinberg, a member of the traveling White House press pool, was notified by the White House Press Office Wednesday evening that he will “not be the print pooler on tomorrow’s trip,” despite his scheduled shift in the rotation being confirmed days earlier. “The anonymous email did not say why, but it was obvious that I was being punished for what happened on Tuesday,” Feinberg wrote in a new article about his experience being booted from the president’s jet. “I’m not there to be friendly with this president or administration. And guess what? I wasn’t there to be friendly with the last one, either.” “There will be an administration after this one. It may well be one with a Democratic president in the Oval Office once more,” Feinberg said. “And I’ll be there, doing the exact same thing.” Trump has made it his mission to get voters to turn out for Republican candidates, telling his supporters to pretend that he’s on the ballot. The president has gone so far as to promise $5,000 checks to Americans if Republicans keep control of Congress, which critics have called a bribe. Meanwhile, Trump’s rallies meant to drum up excitement among his base have been constantly interrupted by the yells of protesters. The president has tried to combat his hecklers with “your mom” and fat jokes. At a rally in North Carolina earlier this week, Trump went as far as to compare the hecklers to rioters in Paris, who have spread violence during nationwide protests over the rising cost of living and poor conditions of schools in France. As Trump tries to boost GOP candidates’ chances of winning the midterms, he has his own image issue to deal with. The president has hit a record low approval rating of 33 percent in a new ABC New/Washington Post/Ipsos poll. His administration has been dogged by an unpopular war in Iran, stubborn inflation and an immigration crackdown that most Americans have found too aggressive. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments