US President Donald Trump has reacted to Abdul El-Sayed’s victory in Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary, calling the result “great news for the Republican Party.”
In a post on Truth Social, Trump criticised El-Sayed, describing him as a “Communist loser” and claiming his nomination would strengthen Republican chances in the upcoming election. He also mocked pre-election polling, saying surveys had underestimated El-Sayed’s Democratic rival, Representative Haley Stevens.
The closely contested primary was decided on Wednesday, with El-Sayed defeating Stevens by around one percentage point. Stevens, who was backed by moderate Democrats and the party establishment, conceded defeat following the results.
El-Sayed will now face former Republican Representative Mike Rogers in November’s Senate election, a key battleground race that could influence control of the US Senate.
Throughout the campaign, El-Sayed was outspoken in his criticism of Israel’s military actions in Gaza, describing them as “genocide.” He also criticised Stevens for receiving support from pro-Israel groups, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) super PAC. Stevens has supported a two-state solution but has rejected describing Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide.
In his victory speech, El-Sayed emphasised unity and addressed concerns from Jewish voters, saying he stood in “solidarity” with them. He stressed that opposing antisemitism and advocating for Palestinians are not mutually exclusive, adding that his commitment to the safety of Jewish communities is the same as his commitment to the safety of his own family.
Earlier, President Donald Trump slammed NBA superstar LeBron James, pointing out that the basketball star “might be a racist” during a White House press conference.
Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy commented on reports that James is considering joining the Philadelphia 76ers, and asked Trump a question about who is the all-time best player: Michael Jordan or LeBron James.
Trump responded by giving Jordan praise, claiming he is a friend and golf partner.
“Michael Jordan is a friend of mine; we play golf together. He’s a good guy,” Trump said.
He then went on to say “I think LeBron is – maybe he’s a racist, but maybe he doesn’t like Trump. I don’t know. I only like people that like me, so I would say Michael Jordan all the way.”
The comments follow years of public feuds between Trump and James.
The four-time NBA champion has always aligned with opposing political candidates, supporting Hillary Clinton for the 2016 presidential election, Joe Biden for 2020 and Kamala Harris for 2024.
James has also been openly critical of Trump since he took office.
He criticised Trump’s move to cancel the Golden State Warriors’ White House invitation in 2017 following a Warriors star’s decision to turn down the invite.
Read more: Will LeBron James retire after this season?