Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed is facing significant online criticism following remarks made on Saturday that targeted Usha Vance, wife of Vice President JD Vance, and Natalie Harp, an aide to former President Donald Trump.
The controversy began when El-Sayed, the Democratic candidate challenging Republican Mike Rogers, responded to a rally speech by JD Vance. Vance had referenced his grandfather and his wife, Usha Vance, who is of Indian ethnicity. El-Sayed's post, which referenced Vance's wife and grandfather, was interpreted by some critics as alluding to her ethnicity in a disparaging way.
"So do we think JD is taking Usha with him back in time to meet Papaw, or no…" El-Sayed wrote on X, a social media platform.
Critics, including former Florida state Rep. Ben Graber and commentator Ryan Girdusky, quickly condemned the post. "El Sayed is now attacking Wives [sic] of US leaders? What a guy," Graber stated on X. Girdusky suggested El-Sayed believes rural White Americans in Michigan are racist.
Rep. Brandon Gill of Texas questioned El-Sayed's assumptions, asking, "Why does Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed just assume that all White midwestern grandparents are racist?"
An X account identified with Democrats supporting El-Sayed's opponent, Mike Rogers, also weighed in, posting, "This is why there were ads in the primary correctly highlighting how sexist and misogynistic Abdul is. He has so much contempt for women. If you’re over the politics of division. Reject Abdul El-Sayed."
Journalist Emily Schrader called El-Sayed "a racist creep" in response to his post.
Earlier on Saturday, El-Sayed also posted a message directed at Natalie Harp, an executive assistant to former President Trump. This comment came after Trump criticized El-Sayed at a rally for campaigning with socialist Hasan Piker. El-Sayed responded to Trump by saying, "Natalie, I think he’s had a little too much iPad for the week. He needs his rest."
GOP strategist Matt Whitlock shared screenshots of both posts, criticizing them as indicative of "a bad campaign, bad candidate, bad instincts." Tudor Dixon, a former Republican gubernatorial candidate in Michigan, echoed these sentiments, stating, "He goes after Usha. He goes after Natalie [Harp]. This coward picks on women who are not in his fight. Imagine how he would treat female staffers in the halls of Congress."
Fox News Digital reached out to the vice president's office and a representative for Usha Vance but did not receive an immediate response.