President Donald Trump said Tuesday that black voters will not support Michigan Democrat Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, arguing [1] that the candidate has treated them with open contempt rather than earning their votes.
Trump delivered the blunt assessment in a Truth Social post as El-Sayed faces Republican Mike Rogers in the election. The president framed the Democrat’s troubles as the predictable result of his own conduct toward black voters.
“Why would black people vote for Mohammed El-Sayed when he openly scorns them, mocks them, and disrespects them? THEY WON’T! President DJT,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump’s statement came amid complaints from some black voters and community leaders about El-Sayed’s outreach. Those concerns have focused on whether the Democrat believes black support will arrive automatically because of his party affiliation.
Democrat Michigan state Rep. Karen Whitsett previously criticized El-Sayed and the socialist wing of her own party. She accused Democrats of treating black voters as though their continued political support could simply be taken for granted.
“It doesn’t change, it’s just different slave owners,” Whitsett told Fox News Digital while discussing Democrat leaders who expect black voters to remain loyal to the party.
Whitsett also accused El-Sayed of failing to support the interests of black communities across Michigan. She questioned how he would carry out his Medicare for All proposal, saying he had not adequately explained how the policy would operate.
Concerns about El-Sayed’s outreach have also emerged in Detroit. CNN reported on October 7 that an unnamed black community leader left a conversation with El-Sayed believing the campaign did not think it needed to work as hard for black votes.
According to CNN, El-Sayed promised to invite the leader to a roundtable but did not follow through. The community leader later sent the candidate a text message and received no response.
“I felt so bad. I texted him,” the leader said of El-Sayed, “But I didn’t hear back. So, F-him.”
Black voters who participated in an MS NOW focus group voiced similar doubts about the Democrat. One woman said she believed El-Sayed assumed black voters would support him because he was the nominee of the Democratic Party.
“I think he’s taking advantage [of] we as Black people are Democratic, and he thinks we gonna vote for him anyway,” the participant said. “And I’m like, ‘No sir, I’m gonna put uncommitted down on that little circle and move on.’ If you’re going to Congress to represent me, I need you to talk about what’s going on in this community.”
Absolutely love to see black democrats in Michigan coming out against Abdul El Sayed.
The man is a threat to our republic and way of life. https://t.co/5EXDzdyR1I
— Jeffery Mead (@the_jefferymead) October 13, 2026 [2]
The participant’s remarks echoed the broader complaint raised by Whitsett and the unnamed Detroit community leader. Each account challenged the idea that party identity alone would be enough to secure support from black voters.
El-Sayed discussed tensions between Arab and black communities during an appearance on the Higher Learning podcast. When asked how he was connecting with black voters, he acknowledged that some had experienced mistreatment from people who looked like him.
“Too often when folks meet somebody who looks like me, it’s not a good experience,” El-Sayed admitted.
His difficulties with black voters were also visible during the Democrat primary. Polling reported in July showed Rep. Haley Stevens leading El-Sayed by 46 points among black primary voters.
The election against Rogers now arrives with those complaints hanging over El-Sayed’s campaign. Trump’s message argued that voters who believe they have been mocked, scorned, or ignored will not quietly fall in line for the Democrat nominee.