Trump unleashes on Dem. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed
President Trump attacked Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, calling him a “man of hate.”
Fresh off his win in the Michigan Democratic Senate primary Aug. 4, Abdul El-Sayed is clapping back at President Donald Trump’s recent attacks, which came only hours after the progressive became his party’s nominee.
Trump came after El-Sayed in an Aug. 5 post on Truth Social, saying that the progressive’s victory was “great news for the Republican Party,” while leveling a series of attacks against the former public health official.
The president went on to double down on his attacks against the Michigan Democrat later that same day at an address in Las Vegas, calling El-Sayed a “man of hate.” Trump’s comments came during a speech touting his administration’s “no tax on tips policy.”
El-Sayed pushed back against Trump’s attacks the same day during an interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, saying “the man can’t stay on focus,” referring to the president attacking him rather than focusing on his economic achievements.
Trump’s “no tax on tips policy,” allows eligible workers, such as waitresses, to deduct up to $25,000 of qualified annual tip income from their federal income taxes.
The policy is “like the one thing he did to offer any economic relief, but instead of that he’s more focused on me and what I’m going to do while we’re living through an affordability crisis that is generational,” El-Sayed said.
The Democratic candidate went on to tell Trump to “focus on what I’m saying.”
“I want to get money out of politics, put money in your pocket and pass ‘Medicare for All,’” he added.
Democrats begin to coalesce
As votes were being counted on Tuesday night, El-Sayed sought to strike a unifying tone, urging supporters to look beyond the primary battle and focus on defeating Republicans in November.
“We should begin to mend fences,” El-Sayed said. “However much we might disagree with our Democratic opponent, there is so much more that unites us than divides us.”
Those calls for unity seemed to have been heard as the defeated Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Michigan, conceded the race early on Aug. 5 and quickly endorsed El-Sayed.
“I am proud to offer my support as he takes on Mike Rogers in the general election,” Stevens said in a statement. “This was a thorough and rigorous campaign that brought out the full span of views within the Democratic Party, and that is why we have primaries.”
Who is Abdul El-Sayed?
El-Sayed, a physician and public health expert, previously served as director of Wayne County’s Department of Health, Human and Veteran Services. Before that, he was Detroit’s health commissioner.
Outside of government, he worked as a tenure-track faculty member at Columbia University in New York City.
The 41-year-old’s victory represents a win for the Democratic Party’s progressive wing and sets up a marquee matchup with Mike Rogers, a former congressman who secured the Republican nomination.
USA TODAY’s Susan Page contributed to this report.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.