Donald Trump railed against Democratic US senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed at a campaign event in Iowa Sunday, repeatedly referring to the Michigan progressive as a \u201cjihadist\u201d.<\/p>\n
Trump\u2019s comments aimed to influence a neck-and-neck race that will play an outsized role in determining which party controls the senate after Tuesday\u2019s midterm elections.<\/p>\n
The president bashed El-Sayed, a practicing Muslim, in brazenly racist terms, saying that Congress would have to \u201cget a special metal detector for Abdul\u201d if he were elected.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you vote for this jihadist lunatic that wants to destroy you, you\u2019re crazy,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n
The Michigan race has drawn national attention<\/a> in recent days, as Hayley Stevens, who lost to El-Sayed in the August primary election, declined to campaign with him, while demanding that he publicly disavow an outside group\u2019s political ad that posited a link between rising prices and US military support for Israel\u2019s war on Gaza.<\/p>\n El-Sayed responded by telling Stevens to stay away from a campaign event at which they were supposed to appear together on Sunday. Stevens turned around and endorsed Mike Rogers<\/a>, El-Sayed\u2019s Republican opponent. Steven\u2019s high-profile defection in the waning hours of the tight race drew the condemnation of Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, who is Jewish.<\/p>\n Trump, on the other hand, heaped praise on Stevens for turning against El-Sayed, urging her to join the GOP.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was an incredible thing,\u201d Trump said. \u201cI\u2019d love her to join the Republican party. I think that could happen.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump then lauded Rogers in metaphorical terms.<\/p>\n