Pro-Palestinian Candidate Wins Michigan Democratic Senate Primary; Trump Calls Him a ‘Loser Communist Who Hates Israel and the Jews’

Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Party candidate who spoke sharply against Israel throughout the campaign, won yesterday’s (Tuesday) U.S. Senate primary in Michigan. El-Sayed, who compared Israel to Hamas and declared that Israel should not exist as a Jewish state, defeated Rep. Haley Stevens, widely identified as a staunch supporter of Israel, after an especially close race.

The victory came in a state considered one of the key battlegrounds in the U.S. and home to some of the country’s largest Arab American communities. El-Sayed will now face former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers in the November general election, in a contest that could affect the balance of power in the U.S. Senate.

Shortly after the results were announced, U.S. President Donald Trump harshly attacked the Democratic candidate. On his Truth Social account, he wrote: “This is good news for Republicans. He is a loser communist who hates Israel and the Jews.”

Trump later added: “He is the expected winner in his race with the socialists. As usual, the polls were very far off on this one. They did not expect her to do nearly as well as she did. Now, the Democrats’ crazy policies will only get worse!”

During the campaign, El-Sayed made Israel one of its central issues. The physician, the son of immigrants from Egypt, described Israel’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip as “genocide,” called Israel’s government “evil,” and repeatedly argued that the influence of AIPAC distorts decision-making within the Democratic Party. He also declared that he intended to work to change the Democratic Party’s approach to Israel and Jerusalem. During his campaign, he said: “This is not a question of who is more evil—this or that. Hamas is evil, Israel’s government is evil. You can say both.”

By contrast, his opponent, Haley Stevens, ran a campaign built on consistent support for Israel and received financial backing totaling tens of millions of dollars from pro-Israel lobbying groups. Throughout the race, she stressed that she supports continued unconditional aid to Israel, rejects allegations that Israel is carrying out genocide in Gaza, and refuses to apologize for accepting donations from AIPAC.

In an interview with CBS, Stevens said that she is “for a two-state solution, I want long-term peace, I have criticized Netanyahu.” She added: “My opponent, Abdul, does not recognize Israel’s right to exist as a state. He blamed Israel when a synagogue exploded in our district. That represents extremism.” She previously said at a Chanukah event that “Israel comes to me in my dreams,” and made clear that she would not change her positions based on “fashion or what is politically convenient.”