Moreno says Muslim candidate should stay out of Washington

Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno declared on Wednesday that Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed should be kept away from Washington, D.C., due to his faith. Speaking at a rally in Ohio, Moreno argued that El-Sayed, a Muslim, may not fully grasp the concept that American rights come from God and that Jesus came for salvation. "This character Abdul El-Sayed can be nowhere near Washington, DC," Moreno said. He added that Republican nominee Mike Rogers would defeat El-Sayed on Tuesday.

The comments arrive with three days until the Michigan Senate election, a race that could determine control of the U.S. Senate. President Donald Trump has also targeted El-Sayed, calling him a "jihadist" and suggesting metal detectors would be needed in the Senate if he wins. Trump has also misspelled El-Sayed’s name as "Mohammed" and "Abdul Ramadan" in public appearances.

Mike Rogers, the GOP nominee, has taken a more cautious approach but raised questions about El-Sayed’s loyalties. During their final debate, Rogers asked if El-Sayed had links to the Muslim Brotherhood, an Egyptian Islamist group. "Are you for America, or are you for these terrorist groups overseas?" Rogers asked. El-Sayed has disavowed ties to the organization. Republicans have cited social media posts from El-Sayed’s half-sister about their mother’s activity in the group in the 1970s, as well as a 2011 article by El-Sayed discussing the Brotherhood’s potential role in Egypt.

Article VI of the U.S. Constitution states that no religious test shall be required as a qualification for any office under the United States. The First Amendment further prohibits Congress from making laws regarding the establishment of religion. Corey Brettschneider, a Brown University professor, noted that the rhetoric surrounding El-Sayed functions as a religious test. "When you are saying we can’t trust people who are Muslims and that he’s going to need to enter a metal detector, unlike everyone else in Congress, to get in, that’s nothing less than a religious test for office," Brettschneider said.

Moreno is a naturalized citizen from Colombia, a fact that contrasts with his implication that El-Sayed lacks the same constitutional protections because he is not Christian. Other religious groups, including Jews, Hindus, and Buddhists, are currently represented in Congress.

A CNN/SSRS poll released Thursday showed El-Sayed leading Rogers by seven points among likely voters in Michigan. El-Sayed received 49 percent of the vote, while Rogers received 42 percent. The race follows a period of heightened cultural division, including debates over U.S. policy toward Israel and the impact of the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023.

El-Sayed addressed the dual loyalty concerns at a town hall meeting earlier this month. He stated that the U.S. Constitution is his guiding light and rebuked questions that assumed his Muslim faith created an allegiance to anything other than the Constitution.