Michigan Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed wasted little time making his Arab-American political identity a centerpiece of his post-election message, declaring that Michigan — not Washington, D.C. — is the “capital of Arab America” during remarks following his victory over Republican Mike Rogers.
“I’m honored to be the next United States senator from the great state of Michigan,” El-Sayed said. “Which, of course, I know we’re here in D.C., which, of course, is the capital of the United States of America, but Michigan is the capital of Arab America.”
El-Sayed’s declaration of a new Caliphate came after a campaign in which he repeatedly criticized Israel, questioned the U.S. relationship with the Jewish state, and faced scrutiny over his associations with activists who have made controversial statements about Israel and the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks.
The newly elected senator also embraced his Muslim and Arab support during his election-night victory speech in Detroit, switching between English and Arabic as supporters cheered.
“Up until right about now, you might have noticed I always say ‘Inshallah,’ or ‘God willing,’ whenever the outcome of this race was mentioned, but today, tonight, we can turn that ‘Inshallah’ into an ‘Alhamdulillah,’” El-Sayed said.
“Inshallah” means “God willing,” while “Alhamdulillah” translates to “Praise be to God.” The phrases are commonly used by Arabic speakers and Muslims.
El-Sayed’s victory makes him the first Muslim elected to the United States Senate. His election also gives Michigan’s large Arab-American and Muslim communities a prominent new voice in Washington.
But El-Sayed’s post-election rhetoric comes amid broader questions about the direction of his political movement and the company he keeps. During the campaign, he appeared at multiple events with communist influencer Hasan Piker, who has said that “America deserved 9/11” and described Israel as “worse than” Hamas. He also campaigned with Dearborn community leader Osama Siblani, who has called Hamas and Hezbollah “freedom fighters.”
El-Sayed has also drawn scrutiny for remarks about the October 7 attacks and the subsequent war in Gaza. He has described Israel’s military campaign as genocide and argued that the United States should use its leverage to pressure the Israeli government. He previously apologized after saying “hurt people hurt people” while discussing the family of the suspect in a March 2026 attack on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan.
Meanwhile, a separate controversy has emerged over edits whitewashing El-Sayed’s Wikipedia page in the months before the election.
The New York Post reported that an editor using the name “CopyleftEverything” made a series of changes to the page, including revisions that softened descriptions of controversies surrounding El-Sayed and removed references to tensions with Michigan’s Jewish community.
Among the changes, the editor revised language stating that El-Sayed had “never been granted a medical license” to say that he “did not pursue a medical license.” El-Sayed holds a medical degree from Columbia University but did not complete residency training or obtain a medical license, according to the Post.
The editor also changed a description of Piker from “a controversial left-wing Twitch … streamer and political commentator” to simply “left-wing political commentator.” Other revisions removed references to El-Sayed’s hiring of a Jewish community liaison amid tensions over his criticism of Israel and opposition to military aid.
Wikipedia allows users to edit pages through an open-contribution system, though editors are expected to support changes with reliable sources. The identity and motives of the person behind the account have not been established.
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