Vance Critiques El-Sayed During Campaign in Michigan

Vice President JD Vance criticized Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed while supporting Republican Mike Rogers in Monroe, Michigan, on Thursday.

Vance described El-Sayed as “one of the craziest, one of the most far-left, and one of the most radical people” ever to run for high office in the U.S. He argued that El-Sayed shows no concern for the residents of Monroe and holds a disdain for America’s past.

“He calls our nation irredeemably racist. He describes the United States as genocidal and expresses hatred for the individuals who built this country, people like my grandfather, who worked for 40 years as a union welder at Armco Steel in Ohio,” Vance claimed.

He also accused El-Sayed of labeling his grandfather and others as bigots. Vance pointed out that El-Sayed had commented on social media about not bringing Vance’s wife back in time to meet his grandfather, further emphasizing his attacks on Vance’s family.

“He said my papaw, one of the greatest men I have ever known—the man who helped raise me when my own parents struggled—was incapable of loving my wife and our amazing second lady simply because of skin color,” Vance stated.

Vance further noted that El-Sayed, despite being raised in part by his white step-grandfathers, seems to hold contradictory views about race. He then accused El-Sayed of creating a “fictitious background” for himself out of shame for being a Michigander.

“He invented a totally fictitious background for himself, not as a Michigander born an hour north of where we stand today, but as a foreigner who came here from 6,000 miles away,” Vance asserted.

Vance questioned El-Sayed’s loyalty to his community, suggesting that lying about one’s origins shows a deep-seated shame. He also highlighted El-Sayed’s comments regarding a recent attack on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, describing the assailant, Ayman Mohammad Ghazali, as a terrorist responsible for a heinous act against innocent people.

“This foreign-born jihadist, literally a terrorist, drove his truck into the temple and opened fire, aiming to harm children,” Vance said, noting El-Sayed’s reaction that aimed to convey empathy toward the attacker by stating, “Hurt people, hurt people.”

“In a moment where he should have shown leadership, he chose to empathize with the criminal instead of the victims,” Vance added.

Moreover, Vance drew a clear distinction between El-Sayed and Rogers, praising the latter for his commitment to straightforward issues. “Mike cares about the simple things… lower costs, lower taxes, and ensuring our young people can afford homes,” Vance explained. He emphasized Rogers’ dedication to all citizens of Michigan, regardless of their background.

“At the end of the day, Mike Rogers knows that he has one job… It’s to put Michigan first every single day,” Vance concluded.