“From Inshallah to Alhamdulillah”: Abdul El-Sayed Makes History as 1st Muslim US Senator, Defies Trump and AIPAC

By Staff, Ynet

Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has secured a historic victory in Michigan, becoming the first Muslim elected to the United States Senate after defeating Republican Mike Rogers in one of the most closely watched and contentious races of the midterm elections.

In a powerful victory speech delivered before cheering supporters in Detroit, the 41-year-old progressive celebrated the achievement, declaring that voters had made history. He invoked the Arabic expressions “Inshallah” [God willing] and “Alhamdulillah” [Praise be to God], marking a milestone for Muslim representation in American politics.

El-Sayed’s victory represents a significant setback for President Donald Trump and powerful pro-“Israel” lobbying interests that had campaigned against him. Throughout the election, the Michigan Democrat faced repeated personal attacks from Trump and substantial spending by organizations opposed to his positions, particularly his demand to end American military assistance to the “Israeli” entity.

One of the most pointed moments of his victory speech came when El-Sayed addressed the American "Israel" Public Affairs Committee [AIPAC], which had supported efforts to defeat him during both the Democratic primary and general election.

“To AIPAC [American ‘Israel’ Public Affairs Committee] who spent $42 million against us. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to beat you twice,” he declared.

According to El-Sayed, more than $350 million had been directed toward efforts to defeat his campaign, including approximately $70 million during the Democratic primary alone. These figures reflect his characterization of the spending and have not been independently established as amounts spent specifically against him.

He presented his victory as evidence that grassroots political movements could overcome the financial influence of wealthy donors and powerful lobbying organizations.

The newly elected senator also reiterated his opposition to American military assistance to the “Israeli” entity, one of the defining issues of his campaign.

“We don’t want our money sent to do apartheid, or genocide, or war,” he said, according to The Times of “Israel”.

El-Sayed argued that American taxpayers’ money should be invested in domestic priorities, including public education, healthcare and infrastructure, rather than financing military operations overseas.

The Senate contest had initially been viewed as a strong opportunity for Republicans to capture a Democratic-held seat being vacated by retiring Senator Gary Peters. Rogers, a former FBI agent and congressman, entered the race as the Republican favorite.

However, El-Sayed’s political momentum grew following his surprise victory in the Democratic primary over the summer. With more than 60 percent of ballots counted on Tuesday night, he held an approximately three-percentage-point advantage. Decision Desk HQ subsequently projected him as the winner after correcting its earlier race call.

The son of Egyptian immigrants, El-Sayed is a physician and epidemiologist who previously headed the public health department in Michigan’s Wayne County. He belongs to the progressive wing of the Democratic Party and has repeatedly accused the “Israeli” entity of committing genocide in Gaza.

Unlike Democrats who advocate restricting offensive weapons while continuing assistance for “Israeli” missile systems, El-Sayed has called for ending all American military assistance to the regime, including funding for defensive systems.

He maintains that American resources should instead be directed toward improving the living conditions of ordinary Americans.

During his victory address, El-Sayed also defended Palestinian rights, rejecting attempts to portray support for Palestinian children and their right to live safely in their homeland as hateful or incompatible with American patriotism.

He argued that advocating peace, equality, dignity and self-determination was entirely consistent with loving the United States, reiterating his opposition to using American tax dollars to support what he describes as genocide and apartheid.

His victory follows a bitter Democratic primary in which he narrowly defeated Representative Haley Stevens, a moderate Democrat backed by the party’s centrist establishment and supportive of “Israel”.

The result represented a major setback for moderate Democrats and highlighted growing divisions within the party over Washington’s relationship with the “Israeli” entity and the continued provision of military assistance.

The divisions intensified during the general election campaign, when Stevens ultimately broke with El-Sayed and endorsed his Republican opponent.

Trump also repeatedly intervened in the Michigan race, describing El-Sayed as a “dangerous jihadist” and deliberately referring to him by the incorrect name “Mohammed El-Sayed”, repeatedly drawing attention to the candidate’s Muslim identity.

Rogers, who had narrowly lost Michigan’s other Senate race to Democrat Elissa Slotkin in 2024 by approximately 20,000 votes, had hoped to become the first Republican elected to the Senate from Michigan since 1994.

El-Sayed, meanwhile, received the backing of former President Barack Obama, who appeared alongside him in a video released on Election Day. Sharing the footage, the Democratic candidate wrote: “The world is watching us.”

At his final campaign rally, El-Sayed addressed those who had questioned whether someone with his name could win a statewide election.

He recalled being repeatedly told that his name would prevent him from succeeding, responding that his campaign was not based on betting on himself but on trusting the goodness of Michigan’s voters.

The dispute over American military assistance to the “Israeli” entity remained central even on Election Day.

After Trump announced his intention to end US assistance to the regime, El-Sayed responded with a pointed remark, telling reporters that “even a broken clock is right twice a day.”

Trump himself connected the announcement to the Michigan candidate, questioning why the United States should face criticism from what he called “lunatics like El-Sayed” because of its support for “Israel”.

Later that night, Trump published another attack, claiming that El-Sayed hated Jews, Black people and white people.

Addressing Trump’s repeated attacks during his victory speech, El-Sayed argued that his name and religious identity had nothing to do with the problems confronting American families, including rising fuel prices, expensive groceries and difficulties accessing healthcare.

According to Ynet’s account of the speech, he contrasted Trump’s personal attacks with his own efforts to travel across Michigan, meet voters and listen to their concerns.

He also mocked the president’s repeated difficulty pronouncing his name, suggesting that once Vice President JD Vance administers his Senate oath in January, Trump could simply refer to him by his new title: senator.

El-Sayed also took aim at Rogers, referencing his retirement, Florida property and two yachts. He portrayed the Republican’s defeat as a rejection of divisive politics and a victory for hope and grassroots political organizing.

Turning to parents who had been forced to explain to their children why the president mocked people over their names and religious beliefs, El-Sayed urged them to tell their children that the politicians responsible for such attacks had lost.

In remarks separately reported by The Guardian, he told supporters:

“You welcomed me in your homes, your churches, your synagogues.”

He thanked Michigan voters for standing with him throughout an 18-month campaign that had taken him across the state, despite repeated efforts by political opponents to make his identity and faith central issues in the contest.

“They want an America that is too small for some of us,” he said. “We know that America is big enough for all of us.”

El-Sayed’s election also comes amid changing political dynamics between American Jewish voters and the Democratic Party, a relationship that has historically played an important role in US politics.

A recent Siena College poll found that 61 percent of Jewish voters in New York wanted Democrats to control Congress, compared with 76 percent in 2018. Support for Republican congressional control increased from 23 percent to 30 percent over the same period.

The Michigan contest brought these divisions into sharp focus. For progressive Democrats, El-Sayed’s victory represents a historic breakthrough for Muslim political representation and a growing movement demanding a fundamental reassessment of American military and diplomatic support for the “Israeli” entity.

His critics, meanwhile, have raised concerns about his positions on military assistance and other issues that became central to the campaign.

His victory also comes alongside electoral successes by other progressive candidates opposed to American military assistance to “Israel”, including several political allies of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. At the same time, prominent pro-“Israel” figures from both parties retained their seats, reflecting continuing divisions over the future of US-“Israeli” relations.

For El-Sayed, however, the victory represents more than becoming the first Muslim elected to the US Senate. It marks a political defeat for powerful lobbying interests that invested heavily in opposing his candidacy and a rebuke to a president who repeatedly targeted his name, religion and political positions.

As he prepares to take his seat in Washington, El-Sayed is poised to bring his opposition to American military assistance to the “Israeli” entity into the heart of the US Senate, intensifying the debate over the use of American taxpayer money, Palestinian rights and Washington’s role in conflicts abroad.