Vance's Remarks
Vice President JD Vance called Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for S. Senate in Michigan, "evil" during a campaign rally in Sterling Heights on Monday. Speaking to several hundred people at an event hosted by MAGA , a super PAC aligned with President Donald Trump, Vance said, "I realize that there's something about Abdul El-Sayed that is very, very evil and on the rise in the United States of America today."
Vance elaborated, saying that El-Sayed represents people who "see themselves not as citizens of a common nation fighting for every single person — whether they're Jewish or Christian, whether they're white or Black or brown — but see themselves as fighting for one group at the expense of others, and that is how, ladies and gentlemen, you destroy the United States of America."
The vice president's remarks referenced El-Sayed's recent apology for his response to a March attack on a Michigan synagogue. In a video posted after the attack, El-Sayed condemned the violence but added that "hurt people hurt people," comments that critics said showed misplaced empathy for the perpetrator. Last week, El-Sayed said, "My comments may have been misconstrued to justify something I did not mean to justify."
Vance also brought up El-Sayed's association with Hasan Piker, a Twitch streamer who previously said on a livestream that "America deserved 9/11." Piker has since apologized for the remark, which El-Sayed called "dumb" this month on NBC News' "Meet the Press." Vance said, "When I see Abdul El-Sayed campaign around the state with somebody who said that America deserved 9/11, what I see is a man who has sympathy and compassion for people who sha..." (the rest of the quote was not provided in the source material).
El-Sayed's Response
Ahead of Vance's visit, El-Sayed said his campaign message remains unchanged, focusing on affordability and access to healthcare. Speaking alongside state Rep. Mallory McMorrow, El-Sayed criticized his opponent, former Rep. Mike Rogers, who accompanied Vance at the rally. "There's not a command he won't 'roger' from Donald Trump or a corporation that's willing to pay into his campaigns," El-Sayed said.
El-Sayed claimed Rogers's motivation for running stems from Trump's influence: "His reason for running was that Donald Trump called him and told him to do it. In fact, there's nothing that Donald Trump will call him and tell him to do that he won't willingly do." He predicted that if Rogers wins, he would "rubber-stamp" Trump's policies.
The Democratic nominee also addressed resurfaced posts about 9/11 that called for equal public outrage about the COVID-19 pandemic. "What happened on 9/11 was a disaster. It was a terrible attack on our country, and our responsibility is also to think about how do we build an America where we are protecting our servicemen and women from being asked to fight wars that we have no business fighting, that ultimately end up doing harm to people," he told CBS News Detroit.
El-Sayed reiterated his platform of affordability, Medicare for All, and removing money from politics. "We're going everywhere and talking to everybody, and I think that's how you continue to build, and you know, talking about what Mike Rogers would not do," he said. His campaign did not immediately respond to Vance's comments, according to NBC News.
Race Background
The November election between El-Sayed and Rogers could determine partisan control of the Senate. The seat is open because Sen. Gary Peters, a Democrat, is not seeking a third term. The MAGA Inc. event took place in a warehouse for an electric services contractor and tree-trimming company.
Vance's visit came amid a tense trade war between the S. and Canada. Michigan exports 39% of its goods to Canada, according to data compiled by the Progressive Policy Institute. During the rally, Vance also announced a new White House crackdown on fraudulent truck drivers and advocated for Rep. John James, the Republican candidate for governor, and military veteran Mike Bouchard, the GOP nominee to succeed James in Michigan's 10th Congressional District.