Obama rallies for El-Sayed in Detroit as Trump heads to Michigan for Rogers
Former President Barack Obama campaigned in Detroit on Saturday for Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, and President Donald Trump is scheduled to rally Republicans in Port Huron on Sunday, NBC News and Reuters reported. Michigan’s open Senate seat, a race between El-Sayed and former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, is one of the most competitive in the country ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
Obama in Detroit: Obama appeared with El-Sayed, gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson and other Democrats, after rallying earlier Saturday in Cleveland, NBC News reported. He criticized Trump over the Iran war and tariffs, which he said have hit Michigan hard. Obama compared attacks on El-Sayed’s faith and patriotism to the false claims that he was born in Kenya, Reuters reported. Detroit’s large Black electorate could decide the race, NBC News reported.
Trump in Port Huron: Trump’s rally at McMorran Place Arena is set for 3 p.m., FOX 2 Detroit reported. It is his first campaign stop in Michigan this year, Reuters reported. Reuters said Trump has attacked El-Sayed as a Muslim extremist, and Rogers has alleged without evidence that El-Sayed has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. El-Sayed denies any such tie and has called the attacks on his loyalty shameful, according to Reuters. If elected, he would be the first Muslim in the U.S. Senate, Reuters reported.
The stakes: Democrats need a net gain of four seats in both the Senate and the House to take control, where Republicans hold majorities of 53-47 and 218-214, Reuters reported. Polls have shown a tight race, NBC News reported. Early in-person voting in Michigan began Saturday, FOX 2 Detroit reported.
What to watch: Trump’s rally is also expected to highlight the U.S.-Canada tariff dispute, which has affected the auto industry and led Rogers to distance himself from the president’s policy, Reuters reported.