‘Habibi, call me Senator’: Abdul El-Sayed mocks Trump, Vance in victory speech

Democrat candidate Abdul El-Sayed on Wednesday took a swipe at US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance after defeating Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan's Senate race, using his victory speech to highlight the irony of Vance having to formally swear him into office.

Addressing Vance, El-Sayed said, “Habibi, there is this delicious irony in the fact that you’re constitutionally obligated to swear me in, in January.” He also directed a pointed message at Trump, who had repeatedly criticised him during the campaign and questioned his loyalty to the United States. “I know you struggle with my name, so after JD swears me in, you can just go on and call me Senator,” El-Sayed said.

El-Sayed's victory makes him the first Muslim elected to the US Senate. He defeated Rogers, a former congressman and FBI agent who had Trump's backing, in a closely watched contest for Michigan's open Senate seat. El-Sayed also took aim at Rogers during his victory speech, telling supporters, “You chose hate, and Michigan chose hope.”

The son of Egyptian immigrants, El-Sayed is a former public health official who had never held elected office before winning the Senate race. His victory followed a difficult political journey, eight years after he suffered a double-digit defeat in Michigan's Democratic gubernatorial primary. His campaign was built around a progressive platform that included universal healthcare, removing outside money from elections and criticism of Israel. He received support from progressive leaders, including Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

The campaign was marked by repeated attacks from Trump and other Republicans, who sought to link El-Sayed to terrorist organisations despite no evidence of such ties. They also questioned his loyalty to the US. El-Sayed's criticism of Israel became a major point of contention, including during a bruising Democratic primary against Representative Haley Stevens. The primary drew nearly $60 million in outside spending, with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) spending nearly $30 million opposing him, its largest investment in a single race. Stevens, who lost the primary, endorsed Rogers on November 1, saying El-Sayed had not done enough to address her and the Jewish community's concerns. El-Sayed also faced criticism over remarks following an attack on a Michigan synagogue earlier this year. He later apologised, saying he was “sorry” to “anyone who feels like my comments might have been hurtful”.

El-Sayed's win came as Democrats secured control of both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections, according to Reuters. His victory was among several gains for the party in states that have traditionally favoured Republicans. The Michigan contest became a major focus in the battle for Senate control after two-term Democratic Senator Gary Peters decided not to seek re-election.

Republicans had cleared the field for Rogers, who narrowly lost a Senate race to then-Representative Elissa Slotkin in 2024. However, his campaign faced challenges over his support for Trump as voters expressed concerns about rising prices linked to the war with Iran and the economic impact of the president's tariffs. Rogers, who had previously criticised Trump, had aligned himself more closely with the president in recent years. He had also voiced concern about the war with Iran, writing on social media in September, “The war with Iran needs to end, and end quickly.”

El-Sayed's victory is expected to strengthen the progressive wing of the Democratic Party ahead of the 2028 presidential election. His campaign demonstrated the electoral reach of a platform centred on policies such as Medicare for All, which would replace the existing mix of private and public health insurance with a government-run, single-payer system.