El-Sayed campaign and Farhat reject RNC chair’s 9/11 claim

Abdul El-Sayed’s campaign and Michigan state Representative Alabas Farhat rejected a claim by Republican National Committee Chair Joe Gruters that the Democratic Senate candidate would have cheered the September 11 attackers, MIRS reported on October 13.

Gruters made the remark in an October 8 interview for the MIRS Monday podcast, saying El-Sayed would have been alongside internet personality Hasan Piker cheering the terrorists. The statement was Gruters’ accusation, not a finding reported by the outlet.

Campaign spokesperson Roxie Richner said El-Sayed had always unequivocally condemned terrorism and the September 11 attacks, and called attempts to misrepresent his beliefs bad-faith lies. Farhat, a Dearborn Democrat supporting El-Sayed, called the remark blatantly false and bigoted, according to MIRS.

Asked whether rhetoric in the race had gone too far amid accusations of antisemitism and Islamophobia, Gruters said no, citing El-Sayed’s associations. University of Michigan lecturer Jonathan Hanson told MIRS that portraying opponents as dangerous could have consequences beyond the election, while also criticising El-Sayed’s decision to campaign with Piker.