Vice President J.D. Vance on Tuesday accused Abdul El-Sayed, the Michigan Democratic Senate candidate, of having “zero attachment” to America.
The vice president, rallying in the town of Howell, blasted the candidate for having claimed to be an Egyptian citizen.
Born in Michigan, Mr. El-Sayed is the son of Egyptian immigrants.
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“Abdul El-Sayed was born just north of Detroit … yet he has claimed to be an immigrant from North Africa,” said Mr. Vance. “Why would you tell people that you were not from the community that you’re actually from? It’s an insane claim to make.”
Mr. Vance called Mr. El-Sayed “a man who would lie, who was so ashamed of this state that he would lie about being an immigrant from another continent.”
Mr. El-Sayed’s campaign has said he has never had dual citizenship and that his multiple claims of being an Egyptian citizen were in “error.”
Mr. Vance also ripped the Democrat for associating with left-wing online personality Hasan Piker, a Turkish American dual citizen.
Mr. Piker is known for his incendiary remarks, including that “America deserved 9/11.”
“We have to understand what happens when our nation gives in to these kinds of people, to young men with zero attachment to its land or to its history,” said Mr. Vance.
Mr. El-Sayed has collaborated with Mr. Piker on multiple occasions, but has since distanced himself from him.
The candidate appeared on Mr. Piker’s livestream on the eve of his primary victory.
The vice president turned the crowd’s attention to riots in France, which he claimed are connected to immigration and could be replicated in America.
“We’ve all watched hordes of masked rioters, many of them from distant lands, taking over historic city centers,” he said.
“I guarantee you if those rioters were burning down New York City or Detroit, the Hasan Pikers and the El-Sayeds would be right there leading them and cheering them on,” he added. “It’s exactly what El-Sayed seeks to bring to the shores of America.”
Mr. El-Sayed is facing off against Republican candidate Mike Rogers for the open seat of retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters.
The election is next Tuesday.
Although a perennial battleground state, Michigan has not elected a Republican to the Senate in over 30 years.
The Cook Political Report rates the race a toss-up.
Democrats need a net gain of four seats to gain control of the Senate.
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