Bernie Moreno says Abdul El-Sayed should be nowhere near Washington, invoking Jesus; CAIR and Interfaith Alliance cite the ban on religious tests
Sen. Bernie Moreno told an Ohio rally that Abdul El-Sayed should be nowhere near Washington, asking if he understands that Jesus came for our salvation. CAIR and Interfaith Alliance say the Constitution bars religious tests for office.
Case period:
Published by The Dispute Index editorial teamPublished Updated
Overview
El-Sayed, a physician and public health expert, is the Democratic nominee for Michigan's open U.S. Senate seat, running against Republican Mike Rogers in the November 3, 2026 election. HuffPost reports that he is bidding to be the first Muslim elected to the Senate. Moreno, who was born in Colombia and is a naturalized U.S. citizen, told the rally he had campaigned with Rogers in Michigan two days earlier. The rally supported Ohio's Republican ticket, led in part by gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy, who is Hindu. Article VI of the Constitution says no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification for any federal office. El-Sayed has faced other attacks on his faith in the race, including President Trump calling him Mohammed.
People in this case
Bernie MorenoDirectly involved
Abdul El-SayedDirectly involved
Joe ScarboroughCommented
Timeline
4 timeline entries on this page. Dates: October 28, 2026 to October 29, 2026
October 2026
Moreno says El-Sayed should be nowhere near Washington at a Chillicothe rally
Incident
Speaking at a Republican rally at the Shoemaker Center in Chillicothe, Ohio, Sen. Bernie Moreno says Abdul El-Sayed should be nowhere near Washington and asks whether he understands that our rights come from God Almighty and that Jesus came here for our salvation.
[01]Forbes
Forbes Breaking News posted Moreno's full rally speech, recorded in Chillicothe, Ohio, on October 28, 2026. Starting at about 9:00, Moreno says he campaigned with Mike Rogers in Michigan on Monday and then speaks about Abdul El-Sayed.
[02]Collinson argues the attacks challenge constitutional principles
Collinson criticizes religious exclusion and attributes constitutional analysis to himself and a legal scholar.
Collinson argues the attacks challenge constitutional principlesSigned October 30 CNN analysis; religious-test discussionJoe Scarborough cites the First Amendment on Morning Joe
Reaction
On MS NOW's Morning Joe, co-host Joe Scarborough responds to a clip of Moreno's remarks by telling him to read the First Amendment, which says Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.
[03]MS NOW
MS NOW's October 29, 2026 Morning Joe segment. It plays Moreno's rally remarks, and co-host Joe Scarborough responds by citing the First Amendment's bar on an establishment of religion.
[04]HuffPost
HuffPost report on Moreno's October 28 remarks at a Republican rally in Chillicothe, Ohio, with his quoted words and Joe Scarborough's on-air response.
CAIR asks every senator to reaffirm that there is no religious test for office
Reaction
The Council on American-Islamic Relations calls on all members of the Senate to reaffirm that there is no religious test for public office and says every senator should renounce Moreno's remarks.
[05]Council on American-Islamic Relations
CAIR's October 29, 2026 statement, published as the description of a video on CAIR's national YouTube channel. The video plays a clip of Moreno's remark, and the description carries the full statement by CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw.
CAIR calls on senators to reaffirm there is no religious test for public office after Moreno's remarks · Council on American-Islamic RelationsInterfaith Alliance condemns the remarks and starts a petition
Reaction
Interfaith Alliance condemns Moreno's comments and launches a petition asking Americans to reaffirm that no candidate or official should be barred from office because of religious belief.
[06]Interfaith Alliance
Interfaith Alliance press release dated October 29, 2026, with a statement by its president and CEO, the Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, and the text of a petition against religious tests for office.
Interfaith Alliance condemns Sen. Moreno's outrageous attack on religious freedom · Interfaith Alliance[07]Baptist News Global: Ohio senator condemned for wanting to ban Muslim candidate from DC
Baptist News Global report on criticism of Moreno's remarks, quoting Interfaith Alliance president Paul Raushenbush and describing the group's petition.
Claims
Claims separate what was said from what is contested. Follow each source for the original wording and context.
What's disputed
Disputed claim
Abdul El-Sayed should be nowhere near Washington, D.C., because he does not understand that our rights come from God Almighty and that Jesus came here for our salvation.
What is disputed
Moreno put the point as a question at an October 28, 2026 rally in Chillicothe, Ohio: he asked whether El-Sayed, who is Muslim, understands that concept, then repeated that El-Sayed should be nowhere near Washington. CAIR and Interfaith Alliance say a belief requirement of this kind is a religious test, which Article VI of the Constitution bars for federal office. We did not find a statement from Moreno explaining the remark further as of November 1, 2026.
Sources (3)
- Collinson argues the attacks challenge constitutional principlesSigned October 30 CNN analysis; religious-test discussion
Response record
Responses
Choose one response filter, or select All responses to see the full record.
4 responses. Newest first.
Steve BenenProducer for The Rachel Maddow Show and editor of MaddowBlog, writing on MS NOW Before this statement
In his October 29 MaddowBlog post, Benen quotes Moreno's rally remarks. He notes that the rally supported an Ohio Republican ticket led in part by Vivek Ramaswamy, who is Hindu, and that Moreno swore to support a Constitution whose Article VI bars religious tests for office.
"the idea that they should be disqualified from congressional service because of their beliefs is plainly insane."
CondemnedCase context: Bernie Moreno says Abdul El-Sayed should be nowhere near Washington, invoking Jesus; CAIR and Interfaith Alliance cite the ban on religious tests
Full statement and sources
Benen writes that roughly one in three Americans are not Christians and that disqualifying them from congressional service because of their beliefs is plainly insane.
After the statement
He writes that he would like to know how many other Republicans agree with Moreno's suggestion that religious minorities be excluded from the Senate.
Why this label?
Relative to Moreno's remark that El-Sayed should be nowhere near Washington, Benen rejects the religious standard the remark implies and calls it insane.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Council on American-Islamic RelationsMuslim civil rights organization, in a statement by Government Affairs Director Robert McCawBefore this statement
CAIR's October 29 statement says Moreno declared that anyone wishing to serve in the Senate must believe that Jesus came here for our salvation, and it calls on all senators to reaffirm that there is no religious test for public office. McCaw opens by saying the United States was founded on religious freedom for all Americans.
"Article VI of the Constitution is unequivocal: there is no religious test for public office. Imposing sectarian litmus tests to disqualify candidates based on their faith is a direct assault on the pluralistic values and constitutional guardrails that define our democratic republic."
CondemnedCase context: Bernie Moreno says Abdul El-Sayed should be nowhere near Washington, invoking Jesus; CAIR and Interfaith Alliance cite the ban on religious tests
Full statement and sources
CAIR, in a statement by Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, says Article VI bars religious tests for public office and that using faith to disqualify candidates is a direct assault on constitutional guardrails.
After the statement
McCaw goes on to call Moreno's remarks bigoted against Muslims, Jews, Sikhs, Buddhists and others, and says every senator should renounce them.
CAIR calls on senators to reaffirm there is no religious test for public office after Moreno's remarks · Council on American-Islamic RelationsWhy this label?
Relative to Moreno's remark that El-Sayed should be nowhere near Washington, CAIR responds by citing the Constitution's ban on religious tests, calls the remarks bigoted and un-American, and asks every senator to renounce them.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Joe ScarboroughCo-host of MS NOW's Morning JoeBefore this statement
Morning Joe plays a clip of Moreno's October 28 rally remarks about El-Sayed, and the hosts say Moreno needed only to read the First Amendment.
"Just read the first phrase of the First Amendment, the Constitution of the United States First Amendment, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion."
CondemnedCase context: Bernie Moreno says Abdul El-Sayed should be nowhere near Washington, invoking Jesus; CAIR and Interfaith Alliance cite the ban on religious tests
Full statement and sources
On Morning Joe, Scarborough responds to a clip of Moreno's remarks by telling him to read the first phrase of the First Amendment, which says Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.
After the statement
The conversation continues on the Constitution's protection for people of every faith, and a panelist later cites Article VI's ban on religious tests for office.
Why this label?
Relative to Moreno's remark that El-Sayed should be nowhere near Washington, Scarborough answers it with the First Amendment's bar on an establishment of religion, an objection to tying Senate service to Christian belief.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Interfaith AllianceReligious freedom advocacy organization, in a statement by president and CEO Paul Brandeis RaushenbushBefore this statement
The group's October 29 release says Moreno attacked El-Sayed, a Muslim, at a campaign rally on Wednesday, saying he can be nowhere near Washington in part because he does not understand that Jesus came here for our salvation.
"The US Constitution explicitly bars religious tests for public office. Sen. Moreno swore an oath to uphold that US Constitution, but clearly he has not read it - or does not agree with it. The naked Christian nationalism of his comments last night represent an attack on Muslims and on all non-Christian Americans."
CondemnedCase context: Bernie Moreno says Abdul El-Sayed should be nowhere near Washington, invoking Jesus; CAIR and Interfaith Alliance cite the ban on religious tests
Full statement and sources
Interfaith Alliance, in a statement by its president and CEO, the Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, says the Constitution bars religious tests for office and calls Moreno's comments an attack on Muslims and all non-Christian Americans.
After the statement
Raushenbush calls the remarks part of a pattern of Islamophobia directed at El-Sayed and at American Muslims. The group also launched a petition against religious tests for office.
Interfaith Alliance condemns Sen. Moreno's outrageous attack on religious freedom · Interfaith AllianceWhy this label?
Relative to Moreno's remark that El-Sayed should be nowhere near Washington, Interfaith Alliance condemns the comments as Christian nationalism and an attack on non-Christian Americans.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Sources
(8)
Original video
Bernie Moreno speaks at a campaign rally in Chillicothe, Ohio (Forbes Breaking News video)
About this source
Forbes Breaking News posted Moreno's full rally speech, recorded in Chillicothe, Ohio, on October 28, 2026. Starting at about 9:00, Moreno says he campaigned with Mike Rogers in Michigan on Monday and then speaks about Abdul El-Sayed.
- Author
- Forbes Breaking News
- Published
- Accessed
Original video
Morning Joe segment on Moreno's remarks about El-Sayed (MS NOW video)
About this source
MS NOW's October 29, 2026 Morning Joe segment. It plays Moreno's rally remarks, and co-host Joe Scarborough responds by citing the First Amendment's bar on an establishment of religion.
- Author
- MS NOW
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Baptist News Global: Ohio senator condemned for wanting to ban Muslim candidate from DC
About this source
Baptist News Global report on criticism of Moreno's remarks, quoting Interfaith Alliance president Paul Raushenbush and describing the group's petition.
- Author
- Jeff Brumley
- Published
- Accessed
Official statement
Interfaith Alliance condemns Sen. Moreno's outrageous attack on religious freedom
About this source
Interfaith Alliance press release dated October 29, 2026, with a statement by its president and CEO, the Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, and the text of a petition against religious tests for office.
- Author
- Interfaith Alliance
- Published
- Accessed
Official statement
CAIR calls on senators to reaffirm there is no religious test for public office after Moreno's remarks
About this source
CAIR's October 29, 2026 statement, published as the description of a video on CAIR's national YouTube channel. The video plays a clip of Moreno's remark, and the description carries the full statement by CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw.
- Author
- Council on American-Islamic Relations
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
HuffPost reports Moreno's rally remarks about El-Sayed's faith
About this source
HuffPost report on Moreno's October 28 remarks at a Republican rally in Chillicothe, Ohio, with his quoted words and Joe Scarborough's on-air response.
- Author
- Curtis M. Wong
- Published
- Accessed
Analysis
Steve Benen: GOP's Moreno targets El-Sayed with a religious test that even many Republicans can't pass
About this source
A MaddowBlog post by Steve Benen that quotes Moreno's rally remarks at length and argues against them, citing the Constitution's ban on religious tests for office.
- Author
- Steve Benen
- Published
- Accessed
Analysis
Collinson argues the attacks challenge constitutional principles
Relevant passage: Signed October 30 CNN analysis; religious-test discussion
About this source
Collinson criticizes religious exclusion and attributes constitutional analysis to himself and a legal scholar.
- Published
- Accessed
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Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Bernie Moreno says Abdul El-Sayed should be nowhere near Washington, invoking Jesus; CAIR and Interfaith Alliance cite the ban on religious tests
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/cases/bernie-moreno-says-abdul-el-sayed-should-be-nowhere-near-washington
The Dispute Index. "Bernie Moreno says Abdul El-Sayed should be nowhere near Washington, invoking Jesus; CAIR and Interfaith Alliance cite the ban on religious tests". First published: 2026-11-01. Last updated: 2026-11-01. https://disputeindex.com/cases/bernie-moreno-says-abdul-el-sayed-should-be-nowhere-near-washington