Vance Attacks El-Sayed at Michigan Campaign Rally

Vice President JD Vance criticized Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed during a campaign appearance in Howell, Michigan, on Tuesday, accusing him of promoting racial hatred and associating with people who justify violence. Vance was campaigning for Republican nominee Mike Rogers, who is challenging El-Sayed for the open Senate seat. Vance’s accusations were political claims, not independently established facts in the reports. He did not cite specific statements by El-Sayed to support the charge of anti-white racial hostility. The reports also provide no evidence that El-Sayed organized or endorsed violent demonstrations. Before the rally, reporters asked Vance at Joint Base Andrews whether El-Sayed was a jihadist, a label President Donald Trump had used at a campaign appearance in Port Huron on Sunday. Vance did not adopt that characterization. He referred instead to El-Sayed’s associations and comments, and said he did not know what was in the candidate’s heart. At the Howell event, Vance invoked recent unrest in France and said that if similar riots occurred in U.S. cities, El-Sayed and political streamer Hasan Piker would lead or cheer on the rioters. Vance also...