Sanders blasts Michigan GOP ads calling El-Sayed a terrorist
The Vermont independent joins the Senate race, criticizing Republican rhetoric while addressing a split with Rep. Haley Stevens.
By Andrew Yang ·
Sen. Bernie Sanders called the advertising in the Michigan Senate race "disgusting" and "racist" on Saturday. He targeted comments made by Republican surrogates, including President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Sen. Ted Cruz. These figures have linked Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed to the Muslim Brotherhood. Some implied that electing him could be deadly to Americans.
Sanders, who has supported El-Sayed, stated that the level of overt racism in the campaign should appall every decent American. He specifically criticized the ads that label El-Sayed a terrorist or a jihadist. El-Sayed is a medical doctor who would become the first Muslim senator if elected. He has denied any connection to the Muslim Brotherhood.
The Trump administration designated certain chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist groups earlier this year. Sanders said the rhetoric from Cruz, Trump, and Vance is disgusting. He predicted that El-Sayed will achieve a good victory in Michigan. Sanders believes people will rebel against the ugliness of the current messaging.
The Vermont independent also commented on the recent rift between El-Sayed and Rep. Haley Stevens. Stevens, El-Sayed's former primary opponent, asked him last week to condemn an outside group's ad. That ad linked U.S. military aid to Israel with rising grocery prices. Stevens characterized the ad as antisemitic. El-Sayed accused Stevens of relitigating a primary that ended three months ago. He reiterated on Saturday that he did not make the ad and disagrees with its contents.
Sanders said he understands Stevens' frustration after losing a close primary. However, he stressed that Michiganders will see the bigger picture during this midterm cycle. He noted that voters understand they have disagreements with El-Sayed on various issues. Sanders argued that people are standing up to support El-Sayed against Mike Rogers, whom he described as a rubber stamp for the Trump administration.
Stevens issued a statement shortly after Sanders' appearance. She said she does not belong in El-Sayed's campaign. She added that the ballot question is about who Michiganders are, asserting that they are not defined by hate. El-Sayed did not reference Stevens by name on Sunday. He said the state of 10 million people deserves better from their government. He focused on the 9,999,998 residents who are not the ones talking about the controversy.
On Face the Nation, Sanders referenced his own family history to address Jewish views on El-Sayed's criticism of Israel. He noted that his father's family was wiped out by Hitler. Sanders called antisemitism an extraordinarily disgusting and dangerous ideology that killed millions in the last century. He stated that society cannot tolerate antisemitism, period.
Sanders argued that being critical of the Israeli government is not antisemitism. He said it is acceptable to say American taxpayers should not spend a nickel supporting that government. He described the criticism as an attack on a right-wing government. He said the same could be said about any other government on earth. He rejected the idea that the criticism reflects the nature of the religion of the people in that country.
