Michigan Senate Race: Obama and Trump rally in rival events

Former President Barack Obama rallied thousands of supporters in Detroit on Saturday to back U.S. Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed. The event took place at Cass Technical High School as early in-person voting opened across the state. Obama positioned his appearance as a show of unity for the Democratic ticket ahead of the November 3 election.

The next day, former President Donald Trump held a campaign rally at McMorran Place in Port Huron. The venue sits about 60 miles north of Detroit. Trump used the two hour speech to target El-Sayed directly. He described the nominee as a member of the Muslim Brotherhood and likened him to a jihadist. Trump framed these claims as a national security issue that barred El-Sayed from Congress.

Obama focused his speech on defending El-Sayed against attacks on his name and religion. He compared the current campaign to the 2008 race, where he faced questions about his birthplace and middle name. Obama stated that opponents often use fear and division to suggest a candidate poses a danger. He joked about El-Sayed's muscular arms and short sleeve shirts, noting the nominee's athletic background.

The former president also criticized the current administration's war with Iran. He called the conflict unnecessary and blamed it for higher fuel prices. Obama argued that his previous nuclear agreement restricted Iran's program without military action. He also targeted tariffs on Canada, saying they increase costs for Michigan's auto industry and consumers.

Trump attacked Jocelyn Benson, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, during his Port Huron speech. He alleged that Benson was involved in election fraud during the 2020 presidential election. Trump urged voters to support Republican candidates Mike Rogers and John James. He told the crowd to pretend he was the one on the ballot in the Senate race.

El-Sayed responded to the attacks in Grand Rapids on Saturday evening alongside U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders. Sanders described the Republican advertising campaigns as racist and rooted in Islamophobia. He argued that the tactics were a distraction from economic crises affecting working class people. El-Sayed and Sanders also campaigned in Alpena and Ann Arbor that week.

As of last Tuesday, 1,392,170 Michigan voters had cast ballots. This figure represents 18.8 percent of the state's active registered voters. More than 1.1 million of those ballots were cast by absentee mail. Early voting centers will remain open statewide through Sunday. Election Day voting occurs Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.