Nicki Minaj to Join Trump at Port Huron Rally in First Presidential Visit to the City

Updated 23:03 UTC

President Donald Trump's remarks in Port Huron drew a backlash on Monday, including from a former ally who helped lead his outreach to Arab American voters in 2024. The Associated Press reported that Trump called Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for Michigan's open Senate seat, a "jihadist" who was "on the side of the terrorists" and said El-Sayed would "have to go through a metal detector before he's allowed to go into the Senate." Trump also attacked Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota at the rally.

Bishara Bahbah, a founder of Arab Americans for Trump, condemned the remarks. His organization has since changed its name to Arab Americans for Peace. "The president's statements are out of line," Bahbah said in a phone interview. "They are crossing a red line. They are racist." He added: "The remarks are out of line and crazy. I mean, no sane individual would say these things."

El-Sayed answered at a rally in Grand Rapids later on Sunday, where he said he does not care how Trump pronounces or misrepresents his name. "I don't even care that he remembers my whole name because he can just go on and call me 'senator' after November," El-Sayed said. "I will be Senator Muhammad to you, bro." He also said Republicans were pointing at his name and his faith so voters would ignore the cost of gas, groceries and seeing a doctor. Senator Bernie Sanders, speaking at the same rally, said Trump and his allies were using Islamophobia because they have nothing to say about health care, housing and income inequality. "All they can do is foment hatred and divisiveness," Sanders said.

The Associated Press reported there is no evidence that El-Sayed has any affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood. Before Trump spoke on Sunday, Republican nominee Mike Rogers repeated his allegation on stage. "The Muslim Brotherhood celebrated exactly one victory in the United States in the primary this year," Rogers said. "Abdul El-Sayed's." El-Sayed has repeatedly denied any ties to extremist groups and has called attacks on his loyalty to the United States shameful.

Updated 23:07 UTC

President Donald Trump closed the Port Huron rally shortly after 5:15 p.m. Eastern time, ending a speech of one hour and 45 minutes to a crowd of about 3,000 people inside McMorran Place Arena, the Port Huron Times Herald and the Detroit Free Press reported. Trump spent much of the speech attacking Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for Michigan's open Senate seat. "I'm here to keep a jihadist, Muslim Brotherhood member from becoming a United States senator," he said, a claim made without evidence. El-Sayed has denied any affiliation with the group and has called it shameful to question his allegiance to the United States.

Trump compared voting against El-Sayed to the actions of Michigan native Todd Beamer and the other passengers who fought the hijackers on United Flight 93 on September 11, 2001. "Twenty-five years later, Michigan needs to stand up and fight, just like Todd did, to stop a jihadist from walking into the Capitol," Trump said. He brought Todd Beamer's father, David Beamer, to the stage. The El-Sayed campaign answered in a statement: "While they lie and resort to desperate, bad faith attacks, Abdul remains laser-focused on his plans to bring down costs and stand up to the chaos and corruption in Washington."

Trump also defended the war with Iran, saying higher gas prices are "a small price to pay" for making sure Iran does not get a nuclear weapon, and he repeated a pledge to send $5,000 checks to all American adults if Republicans keep control of the House and the Senate. On Canada, he told the border city crowd he expects the tariff war to end on terms favorable to the United States. "Canada has been ripping off the U.S. for years," he said. "They're willing to give us anything at this point." Earlier on Sunday, on NBC's Meet the Press, Mike Rogers praised Trump's tariffs for bringing manufacturing investments by Chevrolet and Detroit Diesel to Michigan, but said the automobile part of the Canadian tariffs worried him a little. "There's some good and there's some things we have to work on," Rogers said.

Updated 21:10 UTC

Nicki Minaj took the stage beside President Donald Trump at McMorran Place Arena on Sunday afternoon, in the appearance the morning preview said was planned. The Port Huron Times Herald, reporting live from the arena, said Trump brought Minaj to the stage at 5:10 p.m. Eastern time. She led the crowd in a chant of "We love Trump" and said she was honored to be working with the president, calling him a picture of resilience. She said the county is at a turning point and that Michigan needs to lead the movement.

Shortly before that, at 5:01 p.m., Trump called Senate candidate Mike Rogers and Representative John James back to the stage. Rogers spoke briefly, and James urged the crowd to vote. Trump also endorsed Representatives Lisa McClain, Anthony Forlini and Doug Lloyd. Rogers closed with a short list of themes: faith, family, freedom and finances, and a call to get it done for Michigan.

President Donald Trump will speak in Port Huron, Michigan, on Sunday afternoon, and rapper Nicki Minaj will appear alongside him in her first official campaign appearance with the president. The midterm rally at McMorran Place Arena is the first visit by a sitting president to Port Huron and to St. Clair County, according to city officials. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. Eastern time and the president is expected to speak at 3 p.m.

Attendees were lining up before sunrise. The Port Huron Times Herald reported in its live coverage that by about 6:45 a.m. the line reached the SC4 Cinema, formerly known as Sperry's Moviehouse. Road closures around the arena took effect on Sunday morning, and FOX 2 Detroit planned a private interview with the president before the event.

Minaj backs Rogers and the Trump Accounts program

Minaj told the Washington Examiner on Sunday morning that she would appear with Trump in support of former Representative Mike Rogers, the Republican nominee for Michigan's open Senate seat, and other Republican candidates. "This midterm election is the most important of our lifetimes," Minaj said. "We need to make sure President Trump has a strong, effective team in Congress for his final two years in office so he can continue delivering transformative programs like Trump Accounts, which I am proud to support."

Minaj was a featured speaker at the Treasury Department summit in January held ahead of the launch of the Trump Accounts program this past summer. Trump has campaigned almost every day this month. Buccaneers fullback Mike Alstott traveled with him to Fort Myers, Florida, and country singer Jason Aldean introduced him in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday.

A Senate race inside two points

Reuters reported on Sunday that Michigan holds one of the most competitive Senate contests in the country, an open-seat race between Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed that will help decide control of the chamber. El-Sayed led Rogers by 1.9 percentage points early on Sunday in the RealClearPolitics polling average, the Washington Examiner reported. Trump had not campaigned in Michigan this year before Sunday, Reuters reported, even though he has attacked El-Sayed repeatedly. If El-Sayed wins, he would be the first Muslim elected to the United States Senate.

Rogers alleged at a debate last week, without evidence, that El-Sayed has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. "If you are going to go to the United States Senate, we need to know: Are you for America or are you for these terrorist groups overseas?" Rogers said. El-Sayed has denied any affiliation and called it shameful to question his allegiance. Former President Barack Obama campaigned for Democrats in Detroit on Saturday and answered the attacks directly, comparing them to the false claims that he was born in Kenya. "We have seen this movie before," Obama said. "I starred in it. This stuff didn't work on me. Not in Michigan. It's not going to work on Abdul."

Tariffs hang over the visit

Port Huron sits on the St. Clair River across from Canada, in a part of Michigan that Trump won in 2024 with more than 66 percent of the vote, Reuters reported. The rally is expected to highlight the tariff standoff with Canada, a trade fight that has hit the Detroit auto industry and has prompted Rogers to distance himself from the president's policy. Mayor Anita Ashford welcomed the visit to a city hurt by tariffs. "Port Huron is a welcoming city, and that's where I stand," she told the Detroit Free Press.

Democrats need a net gain of four seats in each chamber to overturn Republican majorities of 53 to 47 in the Senate and 218 to 214 in the House, Reuters reported. Early voting in Michigan opened on Saturday. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3.