Trump says he can call El-Sayed whatever he wants
Donald TrumpPresident of the United States, at a campaign rally in Dalton, Georgia
Trump says he does not care about the criticism for calling El-Sayed Mohammed and that, as president, he can call him whatever he wants.
“I don't care. I'm the president of the United States. I can call you whatever the hell I want. I can call you whatever I want, Mohammed.”
Original text
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Trump calls Abdul El-Sayed "Mohammed" and a jihadist; El-Sayed says Trump knows his name is Abdul
President Donald Trump has repeatedly referred to Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed as Mohammed, starting with a Truth Social post late on October 7, 2026, that said "Mohammed goes back to the days of the Jihad" and called him a terrorist sympathizer. At an October 16 rally in Dalton, Georgia, Trump said he had taken heat for the name, that as president he can call El-Sayed whatever he wants, and that El-Sayed's middle name is Mohammad. He also called El-Sayed a jihadist. El-Sayed says Trump knows his name is Abdul and is using his name and faith to distract voters.
Source and context
Original text
About this source
CNN rush transcript of State of the Union, which aired October 18, 2026. Bash plays a clip of Trump's October 16 rally remarks about El-Sayed and asks Rogers whether he is comfortable with Trump calling El-Sayed a jihadist. Rush transcripts may be revised.
Reporting
About this source
Daily Caller report on Trump's remarks about El-Sayed at his October 16, 2026, rally at Dalton Municipal Airport in Georgia. It quotes Trump's comments on the criticism he received for calling El-Sayed Mohammed, and El-Sayed's earlier statement on X.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Trump told the Dalton rally crowd that he had taken a lot of heat for calling El-Sayed Mohammed. Earlier in the speech, talking about Iran, he said that anyone unsure of a Middle Eastern person's name could say Mohammed and have about a 65 percent chance of being right.
After the quotation
Trump went on to say that El-Sayed's middle name is Mohamed and that he was right, almost. He then called El-Sayed a jihadist.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Relative to Trump's practice of calling El-Sayed Mohammed, Trump acknowledges the criticism and defends the practice as his prerogative as president.
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- People and groups discussed
- Abdul El-Sayed
More from this case
Read the full caseEl-Sayed's ad says his name is Abdul and that it means servant
“My name is Abdul, it means servant. I pray every day. I reflect on my role in this life, on this earth. How we leave it better than we found it”Read statement
Rogers says he does not speak for Trump on the jihadist remark
“Listen, I -- listen, I don't speak for the president. I don't represent the president. The president is going to do what he's going to do.”Read statement
Tarlov calls the Republican closing message Islamophobia
“Closing message from Republicans being straight up Islamophobia is a terrible choice. Calling Abdul Mohammed, saying he's Muslim brotherhood, saying he may have assimilated but so was the Fort Hood shooter is disgusting stuff.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Trump says he can call El-Sayed whatever he wants". First published: 2026-10-24. Last updated: 2026-10-24. https://disputeindex.com/events/6645-trump-says-he-does-not-care-about-the