JD Vance Warns Abdul El-Sayed Over Wife Remark as 2026 Michigan Senate Race Heats Up
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 31
JD Vance Warns Abdul El-Sayed Over Wife Remark as 2026 Michigan Senate Race Heats Up
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 31
Summary
At a metro Detroit rally Monday, JD Vance told Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed to stop mentioning Usha Vance and focus instead on policy, saying, “keep my wife’s name the hell out of your mouth.”
The clash followed El-Sayed’s post asking whether Vance would take Usha “back in time to meet Papaw” after Vance said Sharia law would have been alien to his grandfather; critics said the jab targeted her Indian heritage.
El-Sayed later said he was criticizing Vance for implying some Americans are more authentic than others based on how long their families have been in the country, noting Vance’s in-laws are immigrants.
Vance used the same appearance to attack El-Sayed on immigration and labor, citing his 2018 support for standard driver’s licenses for people in the country illegally and arguing that stance hurts Michigan truckers and auto workers.
The exchange adds personal and cultural friction to Michigan’s 2026 open Senate race, where El-Sayed will face Republican Mike Rogers even as both camps broadly back tariffs to support U.S. industry.