Trump falsely claims Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed 'openly calls for Sharia law in America'

In X posts on August 8, 2026, President Donald Trump made the false claim that Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed 'openly calls for Sharia law in America.' PolitiFact rated the statement 'Pants on Fire!' on August 10, finding no evidence El-Sayed had ever advocated for Sharia law or made such statements. The smear came amid a closely watched Senate primary, where El-Sayed, a Muslim former public health official, was the Democratic nominee. Trump's attack echoed Islamophobic tropes often used to question the loyalty of Muslim American candidates and aimed to influence the general election contest.

“Abdul El-Sayed openly calls for Sharia law in America.”