United States President Donald Trump leaned into Islamophobic rhetoric and conspiracy theories about the Democratic Party during his final campaign events in Iowa and Kansas, according to Al Jazeera. The rallies took place days before crucial US midterm elections that will determine congressional control during the final two years of Trump's presidency, as reported by Al Jazeera.

According to Al Jazeera, Trump repeated his claim at both rallies that Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic US Senate hopeful from Michigan, is a “jihadist” and joked about installing a special metal detector for him in the Senate. Al Jazeera noted that Trump also repeated unfounded claims connecting El-Sayed to the transnational Muslim Brotherhood. Additionally, Al Jazeera reported that Trump took aim at US Representative Ilhan Omar with unverified claims regarding her past marriages, and targeted Democratic Senate hopeful Adam Hamilton in Kansas over his support for trans rights.

Al Jazeera noted that the rallies in Iowa and Kansas—states mostly represented by Republicans where polling suggests Democrats could potentially flip seats—also featured speeches addressing the US-Israel war on Iran, the cost of living, immigration, media bias, and the administration of former President Joe Biden.

Background

According to Al Jazeera, the two rallies in Iowa and Kansas had been cancelled last week before being suddenly rescheduled as Trump's final travelling events of the campaign trail. Trump urged supporters to vote and to “pretend I’m on the ballot” to energise Republican voters ahead of an election that polling suggests could prove bruising for the party, as reported by Al Jazeera. In Iowa, Trump stated he would like Democratic Representative Haley Stevens to switch parties after she endorsed El-Sayed's Republican opponent, Mike Rogers, according to Al Jazeera. Kansas features five federal congressional seats up for election, including one Senate seat and four House seats, with the state having last elected a Democratic senator in 19, as detailed by Al Jazeera.

Why it matters

For readers observing international politics, high-stakes midterm elections in the United States often signal shifts in American foreign policy, legislative priorities, and domestic political discourse. Rhetoric used by prominent leaders during campaign trails shapes public debates on minority communities and influences international perceptions of governance and political engagement in Western democracies.