MPAC Condemns Trump's Anti-Muslim Rhetoric Against Dr. Abdul El-Sayed and Misuse of Executive Authority

Washington, D.C. | www.mpac.org | October 19, 2026 — The Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) condemns the dangerous anti-Muslim rhetoric and baseless allegations leveled by President Donald Trump against Dr. Abdul El-Sayed in recent remarks from the Oval Office and at a midterm rally in Clarksville, Tennessee. At the rally, Trump referred to the candidate as “Muhammad,” called him a “radical jihadist,” and insisted that, as president, he could call him “whatever the hell” he wanted.

Portraying a public servant as an "extremist" and attacking him because of his faith is a blatant form of religious bigotry that harms the democratic process. Using fearmongering around Muslims to advance political campaigns as the midterm elections approach sets a perilous precedent, weaponizing Islamophobia from the highest office in the country to marginalize qualified candidates and disenfranchise American Muslim voters.

Furthermore, leveraging the Oval Office, a symbol of executive power, to deliver partisan campaign endorsements raises severe ethical concerns and violates civil service standards. While the Hatch Act maintains specific exemptions for the presidency, the intentional use of official White House settings to advance political campaigns and broadcast divisive rhetoric undermines government neutrality. The American public deserves leadership that upholds constitutional integrity rather than utilizing the symbols of federal authority to promote political bias.

MPAC calls on all elected officials, political candidates, and civic leaders to reject the use of religious bigotry and fear-based tactics in public debate. We continue to monitor anti-Muslim rhetoric across the country that smears American Muslims not only erodes civil liberties but also leads to direct inciting of violent threats and attacks as done by our our Center for Security, Technology, and Policy.