Republicans cast Muslim Democrats as chief enemies in ‘dangerous’ midterm pitch

Republicans are elevating anti-Muslim rhetoric as a key part of their midterm pitch , prompting sharp rebuke from Democrats and political observers.

The attacks ramped up at Republicans’ first-ever midterm convention in Dallas this past week, where a host of top GOP figures called out New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, two of the country’s most prominent Muslim American Democrats.

The attacks are part of a broader effort by the GOP to turn prominent Muslim figures on the left into national symbols of the Democratic Party, tying them to issues including immigration, crime and what Republicans, like Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas), describe as the spread of sharia law. As Cruz used his convention speech to amplify concerns about sharia law in America, calling out Mamdani, El-Sayed and other Democrats, a shout of “he should be shot” could be heard from the crowd.

El-Sayed, who’s up against former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) in a battleground Michigan Senate race, has responded that he hopes Republicans would “call it out for what it is: a call to violence that ought to be condemned across the board.” Mamdani, who was commemorating the 25th anniversary of 9/11 in New York on Friday, has not responded publicly.

It’s unclear whether Cruz could hear the audience member from the stage, and he didn’t acknowledge the shout. But the moment stood out as the second day of the convention marked the first anniversary of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination with condemnations of political violence.

“It is deeply alarming and unacceptable that Senator Ted Cruz carried on with his speech amid loud, explicit calls to assassinate prominent politicians, including two American Muslims,” the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization in the country, said in a statement.

“Failing to denounce such dangerous rhetoric normalizes political violence and endangers public servants and community members alike,” the group added.

The Hill has reached out to Cruz’s office for comment.

Rep. Delia Ramirez (Ill.), one of many Democrats who ripped Cruz’s remarks online, wrote on the social platform X that “it is disturbing that calls for and threats of political violence against opponents are tolerated.”

“Senator Cruz had the opportunity to end the calls for violence, instead he riled people up. He owes Mamdani, El-Sayed, Talarico, and the communities they are fighting to represent an apology,” she added , referencing Texas Senate candidate James Talarico, a Democratic state lawmaker.

Republicans, however, say the strategy is not about religion but rather highlighting what the Democratic Party has become.

“This is the face of the modern Democratic Party,” Republican strategist Brian Seitchik said. “It’s not anti-Muslim, it’s anti-socialist. It’s not the faith that’s in question, it’s their anti-capitalist world view. These socialists are trying to denigrate American values.”

“Democrats would be better served if El-Sayed loses because if he wins it will empower the crazy left and we will see more of these anti-American, anti-capitalists around the country in 2028 and beyond,” Seitchik added.

El-Sayed does not identify as a democratic socialist, and he is not a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).

Democratic strategists told The Hill that Republicans are misreading the politics and that their strategy will backfire, especially in swing states like Michigan.

“The new wrinkle for them is [President] Trump actually had high support in the Muslim communities and they’re lighting that on fire again, which will hurt them in places like Michigan,” Democratic strategist Eddie Vale said. “And no amount of bigotry will overcome Trump inflation and new record gas prices every day.”

Democratic strategist Anthony Coley argued that Republicans have nothing else to run on in the midterms.

“When you can’t run on results, you run on distraction, division, and resentment,” Coley said. “Trump did that as a challenger in 2024. But now he owns a record — prices he promised to lower on day one, [Jeffrey] Epstein files he vowed to release, and a long list of broken promises he now has to answer for.”

“Democrats should call out the anti-Muslim bigotry for what it is, keep voters focused on that record, and offer a specific vision for what comes next,” he added.

During the convention, Vice President Vance — who called El-Sayed “very, very evil” at a campaign rally earlier this month — urged voters not to “give the country over to a bunch of crazy people because you happen to disagree with us on a policy issue here or there.”

Vance took aim at El-Sayed in particular over remarks about his family. The vice president last month said he’d struggle to “go back in time” and tell his grandfather about El-Sayed, whom he accused of advocating for sharia law. El-Sayed has stressed that he opposes any religious law “because we live in an America where you should have the freedom of your religion.”

“So do we think JD is taking Usha with him back in time to meet Papaw, or no…” El-Sayed wrote on X last month, referring to second lady Usha Vance, whose parents are immigrants from India.

At the convention, Vance said El-Sayed looks at his grandfather and “sees the color of his skin, sees his background, and decides that he could never have loved my wife.”

A fired up Cruz took it a step further, saying that sharia law “has no place in America” and that it is “fundamentally inconsistent with the Constitution and we need to stand together and stop it now.” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) also promised to “fully ban sharia law” in Texas during his Thursday remarks.

Cruz, meanwhile, appeared to double down Friday in social media posts warning of a “red-green alliance” of communists and Islamists. He also replied to excerpts of conservative commentator Tucker Carlson’s newsletter, in which he defended El-Sayed over controversial comments about 9/11, calling Carlson “ Jihadi Tucker .”

Republican strategist Doug Heye said Republicans have no choice but to ramp up these attacks.

“The scores of extreme rhetoric from El-Sayed, Piker, and other DSA candidates gives Republicans an opportunity to do something they otherwise couldn’t — go on offense,” he said, referencing progressive Twitch streamer Hasan Piker.

“Given how Republicans ’ backs are to the wall on so many issues because of Trump, they have to take it,” Heye said.

But Raqib Naik, the executive director of the Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH), said the rhetoric “legitimizes” prejudice and hate against Muslim communities.

An August CSOH analysis found that El-Sayed’s win in the Michigan Senate primary produced a “concentrated wave” of anti-Muslim sentiments online after observing a similar pattern last year, when Mamdani became the Big Apple’s first Muslim mayor.

There are roughly 5.5 million Muslims in the U.S., according to Pew Research analysis , up from 2.4 million in 2007 — about 1.6 percent of the total population .

And though Mamdani and El-Sayed are the most prominent Muslims on the left, there have been some standout figures on the right, including Mehmet Oz, who spoke at the convention this past week. Now the Trump administration’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator, Oz’s 2022 primary win in Pennsylvania made him the first Muslim nominee for a Senate seat.

Naik said Democrats “have to a degree failed to come out against this bigotry in the strongest possible ways” and urged the party to “push back” against the rhetoric amid broader concerns about a rising threat of political polarization and violence .

“The danger here is that this rhetoric could translate into violence,” he said.