Ted Cruz calls El-Sayed a "jihadist leprechaun" at campaign stop

Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan — At a run lawsuit extracurricular of Detroit, GOP Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas attempted to necktie Democratic campaigner Abdul El-Sayed to the Muslim Brotherhood — a assertion El-Sayed has repeatedly denied.

"My nickname for the feline is the jihadist leprechaun," Cruz said astir El-Sayed. 

Cruz aboriginal said that El-Sayed would get top-level information clearance arsenic a U.S. Senator if elected, claiming that El-Sayed could beryllium enactment connected the Senate Intelligence Committee, "and if I americium close that helium is simply a passionate protagonist of the Muslim Brotherhood, determination is simply a precise existent hazard that Americans volition dice arsenic a result."

The insinuation El-Sayed has ties with the Muslim Brotherhood has been a halfway portion of the closing connection for Republican nominee Mike Rogers successful what is expected to beryllium a razor-tight Senate contention successful Michigan. Some branches of the radical were designated arsenic a violent organization by the Trump medication successful January. 

El-Sayed said successful a caller interrogation with Fox News: "I person ne'er been a subordinate of the Muslim Brotherhood, I ne'er volition beryllium a subordinate of the Muslim Brotherhood."

El-Sayed and his run person condemned the claims, describing them arsenic "a bigoted anti-Muslim smear campaign" against El-Sayed and portraying them arsenic an effort by Republicans to distract from elector vexation with the economy. At a municipality hallway earlier this month, El-Sayed said helium "absolutely" disavows the Muslim Brotherhood.

When told by CBS News astir Cruz's comments connected Wednesday, El-Sayed run spokesperson Cole Wozniak said, "Ted Cruz is simply a profoundly unpopular person who has agelong supported policies that wounded Michigan families, including voting to chopped healthcare for hundreds of thousands of Michiganders."

"His unsafe comments are conscionable the latest illustration of Mike Rogers and his MAGA allies attempting to distract voters from the information that the terms of gas, groceries, and everything other has skyrocketed owed to the failed policies of the Trump administration," Wozniak added. 

The GOP claims chiefly arose aft posts from El-Sayed's half-sister, Fatten Elkomy, successful 2012 and 2013, wherever she said their birthmother had been progressive successful the Muslim Brotherhood successful Egypt during the aboriginal 1970s erstwhile she was successful college. El-Sayed, who was calved successful the U.S., has said his parents divorced erstwhile helium was 3 years old, and helium was brought up by his stepmother. He has added that helium has not talked to his birthmother astir her past engagement with the group, decades earlier the U.S. added it to its database of proscribed violent organizations.

On Wednesday, Cruz besides pointed to El-Sayed's relation arsenic president with the Muslim Students' Association section astatine the University of Michigan, and a 2011 op-ed helium wrote supporting protests against Egyptian dictator Mubarak, who then-President Barack Obama called connected to measurement down during the Arab Spring protests. 

Cruz and Rogers besides noted an open missive El-Sayed signed erstwhile helium was a aesculapian pupil successful 2012 successful enactment of then-Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, Egypt's archetypal democratically elected person who represented the governmental helping of the Muslim Brotherhood, and Morsi's "purge" of supporters of the Mubarak dictatorship wrong the media and police. The Obama medication had engaged with the Morsi authorities until the Egyptian subject removed him from powerfulness successful July 2013. 

As a congressman successful 2012, Rogers said "there are mean Muslim Brotherhood members the U.S volition person to speech to" but added "we are going to person to ticker it carefully." While successful Congress, Rogers voted for authorities that continued backing for Egypt portion the state was led by Morsi. 

Asked astir it by NBC past Sunday, Rogers said helium wanted to effort and support U.S. relationships with quality services successful Egypt "that the Muslim Brotherhood was trying to undo."

The Muslim Brotherhood is presently banned successful respective Middle Eastern countries including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Asked Tuesday nighttime by reporters if helium has concerns astir the Qatari-gifted Air Force One, fixed that Qatar provides fiscal and governmental enactment to the Muslim Brotherhood, Rogers deflected and voiced interest astir Qatari backing successful U.S. colleges.

Asked wherefore his closing connection has been focused connected El-Sayed's birthmother's ties to the Muslim Brotherhood successful the 1970s, good earlier their designated violent radical status, the Rogers run said the radical "stands for ideologies straight successful opposition with American ideologies." The run besides highlighted erstwhile El-Sayed told NBC News helium has nary ties to the group, earlier quality of his birthmother's past activism spread. 

El-Sayed has argued Republicans are trying to suggest he'd person "dual loyalties" to the U.S. and different state if he's elected.

"My ma and my sister are not moving for office. I'm moving for office. Judge maine by my actions and my work, but delight bash not presume that due to the fact that I mightiness commune otherwise than anybody who's ever held this office, that someway I americium not profoundly committed to this Constitution," El-Sayed said successful Marquette, Michigan, connected Oct. 16. 

Asked aft the lawsuit if helium believes El-Sayed would person dual loyalties, Cruz demurred.

"I don't cognize astir dual loyalties. The demonstrated loyalties helium has are to the Muslim Brotherhood," Cruz told reporters. "He tries to say, 'It doesn't substance however I pray.' I agree. It doesn't substance however helium prays. I'm not talking astir however helium prays. I'm talking astir ideology and advocating for and supporting a violent organization."

Republicans extracurricular of Michigan person escalated anti-Muslim attacks against El-Sayed arsenic Election Day draws closer, with President Trump implicit the play referring to the Democratic campaigner arsenic a "jihadist Muslim Brotherhood member." 

Cruz besides claimed that if El-Sayed wins, progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a apical El-Sayed supporter, would beryllium the Democratic nominee for president successful 2028. "For those who think, 'Well, good, if they nominate AOC, that means Republicans triumph successful 28.' I conscionable privation to pass you, we're a divided country. How galore radical connected September 11, 2001, could person perchance imagined that Zohran Mamdani would beryllium the politician of New York City?"

"Look, if AOC is the nominee, she could win," Cruz said. 

At the event, El-Sayed's opponent, Mike Rogers, repeated his remarks from the erstwhile night, calling the Michigan matchup the "most important contention successful the country." 

"The remainder of the state is waiting connected america to get this right," helium said. "Socialism joined with that Muslim Brotherhood ideology... He wants to correspond Palestine, I privation to correspond Michigan."

Asked connected Tuesday nighttime wherefore he's making this a absorption for his run successful the closing week, Rogers claimed El-Sayed is simply a liar astir having ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.

"When you can't archer the information astir things that substance connected beingness and death, I conscionable don't deliberation you person immoderate concern being successful the United States Senate, and radical request to cognize that," Rogers said.

The Michigan Senate contention is 1 of the most-watched races successful the country. The longtime Democratic stronghold voted for President Trump successful 2016 and 2024, but elected Democrat Elissa Slotkin to the Senate successful 2024. CBS News Battleground Tracker rates the contention arsenic a flip up.