On Tuesday, President Donald Trump claimed that black voters in Michigan wouldn’t support Democrat Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed due to what he described as El-Sayed’s disdain for them. Trump posted on Truth Social, questioning why anyone from the black community would vote for El-Sayed, asserting that the candidate “openly scorns them, mocks them, and disrespects them.”
This remark comes amid criticism aimed at El-Sayed from certain black voters and community leaders regarding his outreach efforts as he prepares for his election battle against Republican Mike Rogers.
Michigan Democrat state Rep. Karen Whitsett has previously raised concerns about El-Sayed, accusing the socialist segment of the party of taking black voter support for granted. She expressed her frustration in September, stating that there was little difference in leadership—just, as she put it, “different slave owners”—among Democrat leaders who expect unwavering allegiance from black voters.
Whitsett also suggested that El-Sayed wasn’t genuinely committed to the needs of Michigan’s black communities. She questioned how he planned to enact his Medicare for All initiative, arguing that he had not sufficiently detailed how that would operate.
Additional worries about El-Sayed’s connection with black voters have emerged in Detroit. CNN reported on October 7 that a local community leader, who chose to stay anonymous, felt that El-Sayed’s campaign didn’t believe it had to make a strong effort to win over black votes. This individual noted that El-Sayed had promised to include him in a roundtable discussion but failed to follow through, and when he later reached out via text, he received no reply.
This leader expressed his disappointment with the candidate, stating, “I felt so bad. I texted him, but I didn’t hear back. So, F-him.”
Similar sentiments were echoed by black voters in a focus group organized by MS NOW. One participant remarked that El-Sayed seemed to presume he would gain their support simply due to his party affiliation. “I think he’s taking advantage [of] we as Black people are Democratic, and he think we gonna vote for him anyway,” she said, expressing her decision to leave her vote uncommitted unless he addressed community issues.
El-Sayed himself acknowledged the strained feelings between Arab and black communities during an appearance on the Higher Learning podcast. When asked about his outreach to black voters, he recognized that many had faced negative experiences with individuals who resembled him, admitting, “Too often when folks meet somebody who looks like me, it’s not a good experience.”
His challenges in connecting with black voters have been evident, especially during the Democrat primary. Earlier in July, polling data indicated that Rep. Haley Stevens was significantly ahead of him, leading by 46 points among black primary voters.
