Trump labels Democratic candidates 'jihadists' in Oval Office remarks

During a press interaction in the Oval Office, President Trump described Democratic candidates in the upcoming midterms as 'jihadists' and communists, saying a friend told him he 'should use the word jihadist because that's what's happening.' He specifically disparaged Somali immigrants, calling them 'not smart' and saying they come from 'failed countries' to tell Americans how to govern. The remarks intensified a pattern of Islamophobic rhetoric, drew condemnation from the Council on American-Islamic Relations for putting 'a target on the back of Muslim elected officials,' and followed Trump's recent social media posts targeting Muslim Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, who won his primary the week before.

“Well, the one thing is we have jihadists being elected all over the place. We have this, whether it's communism, jihadism.” — Trump was responding to a reporter's question about the midterm elections during an Oval Office press interaction. Quote verified against source