Trump attacks Abdul El-Sayed and Adam Hamilton at final rallies
Donald Trump intensifies Islamophobic attacks at final campaign rallies in Iowa and Kansas ahead of midterm vote
United States President Donald Trump leaned heavily into Islamophobic rhetoric and conspiracy theories during his final campaign rallies in Iowa and Kansas on November 1, 2026, targeting Democratic Senate candidates Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan and Adam Hamilton of Kansas.
Attacks on Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed
Speaking to crowds in Dubuque, Iowa, Trump repeatedly referred to El-Sayed as a “jihadist” and joked that Congress would need to install a special metal detector to scan him before entering the Senate building, according to The Guardian. Trump told rally attendees, “If you vote for this jihadist lunatic that wants to destroy you, you’re crazy,” and repeated unfounded claims that El-Sayed is connected to the Muslim Brotherhood. NPR noted that Trump compared stopping El-Sayed from entering the Senate chamber to the actions of passengers who fought back against hijackers aboard United Flight 93.
El-Sayed, a former Detroit health official who would become the nation’s first Muslim senator if elected, has called attacks on his loyalty shameful and repeatedly denied any ties to extremist groups, according to reports. The rhetoric drew strong condemnation from Bishara Bahbah, a founder of Arab Americans for Trump, who told NPR that the president’s statements crossed a red line and would be remembered by voters on Nov. 3.
Midterm elections determine control of Congress
The rallies come ahead of the critical midterm elections on November 3, 2026, which will determine control of Congress during the final two years of Trump’s term. In Michigan, the Senate race has seen intense national attention following a fracture among Democrats. Democratic Representative Haley Stevens, who lost to El-Sayed in the August primary, declined to campaign with him and endorsed his Republican opponent, Mike Rogers. Trump praised Stevens at the Iowa rally, stating he would love for her to switch parties and join the GOP, as reported by The Guardian.
Polling suggests that control of the Senate remains neck-and-neck. In Kansas, where Trump also held a rally and attacked Democratic Senate hopeful Adam Hamilton for supporting transgender rights, the state last elected a Democratic senator in 1932. Meanwhile, in Iowa, the Senate race is officially too close to call, with local legislative seats leaning toward Democratic challengers.
Broader themes and schedule of the final campaign events
Alongside attacks on Muslim politicians, Trump’s speeches in Iowa and Kansas focused heavily on the cost of living, immigration, the US-Israel war on Iran, and criticism of the media and the administration of former President Joe Biden. The two rallies, which had been cancelled the previous week before being suddenly rescheduled, marked Trump’s final traveling campaign events before polls open on November 3, 2026.