President Donald Trump criticized Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed during a speech in Las Vegas on August 5, 2026. Trump referred to El-Sayed as 'full of s---' and claimed that Democrats are moving towards communism. This statement followed El-Sayed's narrow victory over Rep. Haley Stevens in the Democratic Senate primary, where he won by less than one percentage point, as reported by The Associated Press.
Trump dedicated a portion of his speech to discussing democratic socialist candidates, labeling them as dangerous and asserting that communism poses a significant threat to the United States. He stated, 'Communism is the greatest threat to our country in its history, including even World War One, World War Two, Pearl Harbor, 9/11.'
He also mocked the implications of communist policies, suggesting that they would lead to poverty and suffering. Trump cited Venezuela as an example of the consequences of such policies, stating, 'Look at Venezuela, where it was such a rich country 20 years ago.'
El-Sayed, who has received support from figures like Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, has campaigned on issues such as Medicare for All and campaign finance reform. Although he identifies as a capitalist, Republicans have linked him to the democratic socialist movement.
In closing, Trump expressed his determination to combat what he perceives as the leftward shift of the Democratic Party, stating, 'Together we will defeat communism, socialism and Marxism in America once and for all.' The White House and El-Sayed's campaign have not yet responded to requests for comment.