US President Donald Trump has accused Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Senate candidate in Michigan, of belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood, claiming that someone associated with the group should not be allowed to serve in Congress or sit on a congressional security committee.

Speaking to reporters in Arizona on Wednesday, Trump alleged that El-Sayed had described himself as a “proud member” of the organisation years ago. However, Trump provided no evidence to substantiate the claim.

“Abdul, or as I call him, Mohammed El-Sayed, he's a member of the Muslim Brotherhood,” Trump said, adding that such a person could not serve on a congressional security committee.

El-Sayed has denied having ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. During an appearance on NBC's Meet the Press earlier this week, he rejected claims that he or his family had links to the organisation, arguing that his Republican opponent was trying to portray him as suspicious because of his name and faith.

The latest remarks come amid an increasingly contentious Senate race in Michigan, where El-Sayed is facing Republican candidate Mike Rogers, a former member of the US House of Representatives. Trump has endorsed Rogers and repeatedly attacked El-Sayed, portraying him as a radical and questioning whether his political views reflect American values.

The allegations are part of a broader campaign in which El-Sayed's Muslim identity and the backgrounds of people associated with him have become central points of political attack. Republican figures have raised questions about his family and some of his supporters, while El-Sayed has accused his opponents of using such claims to distract voters from issues affecting their daily lives.

The controversy has also drawn attention to the growing use of religious identity in US electoral politics. In August, El-Sayed's victory in the Democratic primary triggered a wave of online attacks that portrayed his Muslim faith and the use of the Arabic expression “inshallah” as evidence of a supposed ideological threat.

Such rhetoric risks reinforcing suspicion toward Muslim Americans by treating religious identity or ordinary religious expressions as grounds for political distrust. Allegations of organisational membership should be assessed on the basis of verifiable evidence rather than assumptions about a candidate's faith, name or community.

If elected in November, El-Sayed could become the first Muslim elected to the US Senate from Michigan. His candidacy has consequently become a prominent focus of the national debate over representation, religious freedom and the treatment of Muslim Americans in public life.

With the November 3 midterm elections approaching, the dispute is likely to remain a feature of the Michigan Senate campaign, as candidates compete for support amid deep political divisions. (ILKHA)