Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed took a swipe at Vice President JD Vance following the vice president’s recent visit to the state, dismissing the event as “a cute little rally.”
“JD Vance was just in Michigan. He had a cute little rally in Monroe,” El-Sayed said during an event. “He invited the like, I don’t know, five people who like him.”
Vance traveled to Monroe, Michigan, to rally support for former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, who is facing El-Sayed in a competitive Senate race. The two are vying to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters.
During his campaign stop, Vance went after El-Sayed and told the crowd that Michigan deserves a better candidate, according to a video clip posted by the New York Post.
“You deserve better than a little weasel who should shut his mouth and show a little gratitude to the country that gave him everything,” Vance told the crowd. “You deserve a senator who is grateful to this country.”
El-Sayed fired back at the vice president’s “little weasel” comment with a profane retort.
“What you’re talking about is a f—ing wolverine,” the Michigan Democrat said.
In his speech, El-Sayed also addressed Vance’s effort to raise questions about his commitment to America. The Democratic candidate said he “got a front-row seat to what my life might have been had I not been born in America.”
“So don’t lecture me about America. I know America,” El-Sayed said.
He went on to argue that his background gives him a unique appreciation for the country.
“Let me tell you, nobody understands how deep and profound the gift of this country is like a kid who was born here but for the accident of history that allowed that to happen,” El-Sayed said.
The heated back-and-forth highlights the growing intensity of the Michigan Senate race, which has become one of the most closely watched contests of the cycle.
The rally comes just over two weeks ahead of the November midterm elections, as Republicans fight to keep control of Congress.
Vance’s appearance in Monroe was aimed at boosting Rogers in his bid to flip the seat being vacated by Peters. The vice president used the stage to make a sharp case against El-Sayed, framing the race as a question of gratitude toward the country.
El-Sayed, for his part, has not backed down. He used his own event to mock both the size of Vance’s rally and the vice president’s characterization of him, while pushing back on any suggestion that he lacks appreciation for America.
Democrats are also bringing in big names of their own. While Vance rallied in support of Rogers, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is joining El-Sayed for the second day of a multicity campaign swing across Michigan.
With both parties sending high-profile surrogates into the state, the battle between El-Sayed and Rogers is shaping up to be a fierce fight down the final stretch before Election Day.
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