JD Vance tried to scare voters away from Michigan’s Democratic Senate candidate and it said so much more about the VP than it did anyone else

Donald Trump and his cronies are losing their way. As America barrels into midterms this fall, the Maga men are getting further away from policy talk and zeroing in on what they do best: what appears to many people to be thinly veiled racism.

The latest politician to enter their crosshairs is recent Michigan Democratic primary winner Abdul El-Sayed. El-Sayed defeated Haley Stevens in Michigan’s marquee Democratic primary for US Senate and it drummed up a lot of opposition.

It’s the kind of opposition that El-Sayed has been battling throughout his rise up the ranks in Michigan and he has a very clear response:

El-Sayed on Islamophobia: “That’s the only play they got. They’re gonna point at me, they’re gonna point at my name, like, ‘Wow, he’s different.’ That’s the best you got? You can’t actually talk about what you want to do? My name is not raising your gas prices. My name is now… pic.twitter.com/MgvN8uirhq

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 5, 2026

But El-Sayed isn’t just taking shots from his local political opponents, he’s drawing the attention of Magas all the way up near the top. Including the deputy Maga in chief himself, JD ‘never knowingly underestimated’ Vance.

JD Vance: “We don’t want the next administration, whoever — god forbid you’re gonna have President El-Sayed in three years … ” pic.twitter.com/eCgQna1h4K

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 5, 2026

When the VP is worried about a Senate candidate who hasn’t even been elected in his own state yet, it’s clearly struck a nerve. It also says a lot more about the VP than the Senate candidate.

Twitter tried to unpack it all in the replies.

1.

We all know that Vance is jumping on the Islamophobia train here but, let’s be clear, if (if!) @AbdulElSayed were to defeat Mike Rogers in November, and win Michigan big, then, yes, there would certainly be a clamor from folks saying he should run for president as the fresh,… https://t.co/rBmEqhE85O

— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) August 5, 2026

2.

omg …. when will humanity be done with the sheer arrogance of the sub-mediocre white men of MAGA?????

— Pastor Ben (@BenjaminPDixon) August 5, 2026

3.

This is straight up racism, bigotry and Islamophobia.

— Reggie B. (@reggiebblue) August 5, 2026

4.

El-Sayed hasn’t even won the general election yet and they’re already panicking and it’s almost as if Vance knows that you’re not gonna have President Vance in three years.

— (@ChidiNwatu) August 5, 2026

5.

Vance’s appeal to racism shows how bigotry is the unifying principle of the MAGA GOP. There is no other mechanism that these people value more for holding together the new right. It’s saying, “Sure, life is worse, but do you want some nonwhite guy with a foreign-sounding name in… https://t.co/97qcTx6DCt

— Pedro L. Gonzalez (@emeriticus) August 5, 2026

6.

trump has been hiding this man for months and finally let him out today to be racist. https://t.co/VTzibmADQY

— Covie (@covie_93) August 5, 2026

7.

JD Vance: “God forbid, President El-Sayed …”

Ladies and gentlemen, that’s called racism. Not “concern,” not “satire,” not “political rhetoric” just racism in a suit and tie.

And if you still think that’s okay: fuck you!

— NllFX23 (@nll_fx) August 5, 2026

8.

Don’t threaten us with a good time! https://t.co/F1TXKE1oel

— j aubrey (@jaubreyYT) August 5, 2026