‘Racist creep’: Abdul El-Sayed facing backlash after hitting at Usha Vance, Natalie Harp
US Senate candidate had been slammed by Trump, Vice President Vance.
Ryan Cooper 
Michigan US Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed is facing a wave of intense backlash following a series of weekend social media posts targeting Usha Vance, wife of Vice President JD Vance, and Natalie Harp, an executive assistant to President Donald Trump.
Escalating Tensions
The controversy ignited on Saturday after Vice President JD Vance criticized El-Sayed during a rally in Ohio, specifically taking issue with the candidate's reported adherence to Sharia law. According to Fox News, the Vice President remarked that such practices would be foreign to his grandfather, whom he refers to as “Papaw.”
El-Sayed responded with a post questioning, “So do we think JD is taking Usha with him back in time to meet Papaw, or no…” The comment was widely perceived as a reference to Usha Vance’s Indian ethnicity, drawing swift condemnation from critics. Journalist Emily Schrader fired back, labeling El-Sayed a “racist creep.”
Controversy on Multiple Fronts
El-Sayed also drew fire for comments directed at Natalie Harp. Following a separate rally where President Trump criticized the candidate for campaigning alongside far-left personality Hasan Piker, El-Sayed took to social media to taunt Harp, referencing unsubstantiated internet rumors regarding her relationship with Trump. Piker, notably, previously faced scrutiny after stating “America deserved 9/11,” a remark for which he later apologized, per Reuters.
Republican former gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon slammed El-Sayed for the nature of his attacks. “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,” Dixon stated.
Commentator Ryan Girdusky also weighed in on the fallout, remarking, “If you’re a rural White American living in Michigan, just remember El-Sayed believes you’re a racist.”
As of this writing, the El-Sayed campaign has not responded to requests for clarification regarding the intent behind his posts. El-Sayed is currently campaigning as the Democratic nominee for the Michigan US Senate seat, where he is set to square off against GOP former Rep. Mike Rogers.
