‘Call me senator’: How Abdul El-Sayed beat Trump’s hate to create history

Abdul El-Sayed defeated Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan’s midterm election, becoming the first Muslim elected to the US Senate. During the campaign, Donald Trump called him a “jihadist” and mocked his name, while JD Vance described him as a “psychopath”; El-Sayed also faced attacks over his faith and views on the Middle East. In his victory speech, he noted that Vance would be constitutionally required to swear him in in January and told Trump to call him “senator.” He also stressed his promises to tackle economic inequality and address healthcare and the cost of living.