El-Sayed responds after Vance calls him a “weasel” as Michigan Senate race grows contentious

October 16, 2026 / 3:45 PM EDT / CBS News

Marquette, Michigan – After being called a "weasel" who should "shut his mouth" by Vice President JD Vance, Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed said he was something else instead.

"No, no, no. What you're talking about is a f****** Wolverine. You could take your Buckeye and go shove it somewhere else," El-Sayed, a Michigan alumnus, told a crowd of over 1,300 in the Upper Peninsula of the state. Vance was previously Ohio's senator and is an Ohio State University graduate.

Vance, President Trump and Republicans have sought to portray El-Sayed, an epidemiologist who has led city and county health departments in Michigan, as an Islamic extremist. Late Thursday night, Mr. Trump in a Truth Social video accused El-Sayed of being a "Muslim radical" and a "Muslim Brotherhood Member," though there is no evidence for either claim.

During his own rally in Monroe on Thursday, Vance criticized El-Sayed's past critical comments about America's history, and said "it's clear – Abdul doesn't love this community, Democrat or Republican."

"He wants to litigate ancient grievances with your tax dollars, and he wants to use the grievances of faraway lands to punish you.

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/