Trump tells Port Huron crowd El-Sayed would need metal detector for Senate

President Donald Trump stood before a packed hockey arena in Port Huron, Michigan, on Sunday and told his base that Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed would require a metal detector to enter the chamber. The President used the rally to attack the progressive physician, claiming that Christmas would be cancelled if El-Sayed wins the seat. These remarks landed as gasoline prices in the state reached $4.83 per gallon, a jump from $2.91 before the US and Israel launched their war with Iran on February 28.

Trump spoke for nearly two hours to hundreds of supporters. He called El-Sayed a jihadist and a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. The candidate is a US-born citizen and former public health official. There is no public evidence linking him to the Muslim Brotherhood or any other foreign organization. Trump said he wants the candidate to pass through a metal detector before entering the Senate. The crowd shouted traitor when El-Sayed's name came up.

The President falsely accused El-Sayed of wanting to bring Islamic law to the United States. He stated that if El-Sayed pulls that off, he should be the first one tried, and Trump said he would be a witness. Trump had already targeted El-Sayed's faith in recent weeks. He wrongly called the candidate Mohammed during previous appearances. The rhetoric fits a longer pattern from Trump's political career, including his 2015 call for a shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.

El-Sayed has mostly dismissed the attacks as distractions. He says the focus should be on living costs and healthcare access. His opponent, Republican Mike Rogers, appeared on stage with Trump. Rogers has previously called for an end to the Iran war and criticized the tariff campaign, including the trade war with Canada. Rogers linked El-Sayed to the Muslim Brotherhood, which the US designated a terrorist group this year, and to the Democratic Socialists of America. El-Sayed is not a member of the DSA. Rogers voted in 2012 to continue US aid to Egypt under Muslim Brotherhood President Mohammed Morsi.

The race is one of roughly seven toss-up Senate contests. El-Sayed faces Rogers for the open seat of retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peters. Republicans hold a 53-seat majority in the Senate. Only 35 seats are on the ballot this year. A Rogers win would leave Democrats needing to flip five other seats to regain control. A survey by Marketing Resource Group earlier this month found that only 35 percent of Michigan voters view Trump favorably.

Trump defended the war with Iran during the speech. He had first said the conflict would last four to six weeks, but it has now run nearly eight months. Iran restricted passage through the Strait of Hormuz, which drove up gas prices. Trump said he made the decision to start the war and has no second guess. He added that Iran had to be stopped from obtaining a nuclear weapon, a goal Iran has denied. The President boasted that US oil companies are making hundreds of billions of dollars from the crisis. He said advisers urged him to avoid the subject because drivers are paying more, but he stated they are making a freaking fortune.

The rally showed Trump can still energize his base despite slipping popularity. A line of supporters stretched several blocks outside the venue. The arena was filled with people in MAGA gear who cheered throughout the speech. The crowd applauded several crude remarks Trump made about the appearance of Ohio Senator Jon Husted. They also cheered his comments about rapper Nicki Minaj, who attended as a supporter.