Obama rallies Detroit crowd to close El-Sayed's Wayne County gap

Barack Obama took the stage at Cass Technical High School on Saturday to urge Michigan voters to support Abdul El-Sayed in the final stretch of the Senate race.

The former president told a crowd of thousands that El-Sayed is fighting for change that will reduce the influence of money in politics and put funds into voters' pockets. This appearance marked his first public endorsement of the Democratic nominee after staying silent during the contentious August primary. El-Sayed, a physician and former Wayne County health official, defeated moderate challenger Haley Stevens to secure the nomination.

Obama positioned the race as a choice between El-Sayed and Donald Trump, accusing the president of enriching his family and establishing a culture of taking favors. The former president mocked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for focusing on the physical attributes of troops rather than strategy. He also criticized Trump's tariff policies, noting that the administration is targeting Canada, a close neighbor that provides the United States with cultural exports and maple syrup.

The Detroit stop was the second event of Obama's first weekend of in-person campaigning for the midterms. He had earlier campaigned in Cleveland for former Senator Sherrod Brown and gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton. Questions lingered about whether Obama would back El-Sayed, given that the senatorial candidate is a proponent of Medicare for All and previously described the Affordable Care Act as an incremental fix. Obama acknowledged their differences, stating that they do not agree on every detail, but emphasized their shared goal of ensuring a fair system.

El-Sayed faces a difficult path in Wayne County, where Detroit serves as the county seat. Stevens won that county by a margin of approximately 6 percentage points in the August primary. Obama last campaigned in Detroit in October 2024 for Kamala Harris. The city, which is more than three-quarters Black, has seen Harris appear with El-Sayed there last month. El-Sayed has the most ground to make up in this key jurisdiction to secure a statewide victory.

The race is currently considered a toss-up by the Cook Political Report. A Marist poll of likely voters conducted in mid-October showed El-Sayed at 50 percent and Republican challenger Mike Rogers at 48 percent. RealClearPolitics averages show El-Sayed ahead by approximately 2.6 points. Republicans have not held a Michigan Senate seat in 25 years, but they view this contest as a top target for the 3 November election.

El-Sayed has faced attacks from both sides of the aisle. Trump has called him a jihadist, pointing to his middle name and alleging ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, which El-Sayed denies. The senatorial candidate also faced criticism from his own party establishment for appearances with left-wing streamer Hasan Piker. Trump is scheduled to campaign in Port Huron on Sunday, a first presidential visit to St. Clair County.

Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin, a featured speaker at the rally, told the crowd that Michigan elects fighters. She noted that she and El-Sayed agree on more than they disagree. Obama closed his remarks by saying they share values of giving everyone a fair shot and ensuring the system is not run only for those at the top. If elected, El-Sayed would become the first Muslim and first Egyptian American in the US Senate.