A withheld endorsement, now given

Barack Obama used a Saturday evening get-out-the-vote rally in Detroit to make his first public show of support for Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Senate candidate he had stayed silent on through the August primary. The event at Cass Technical High School coincided with the first day of Michigan's early voting period, with the general election set for 3 November.

The endorsement had been an open question. El-Sayed, a Medicare for All champion, once called the Affordable Care Act an incremental fix, and he won the primary by defeating moderate congresswoman Haley Stevens, who had the backing of the Democratic establishment and pro-Israel organizations. After the primary, El-Sayed and Obama spoke by phone, and El-Sayed has since described the former president as a mentor figure.

Obama on shared values and disagreements

Speaking before thousands of onlookers, Obama bridged the policy distance directly. 'We are not going to agree on every detail of every issue,' he acknowledged, adding: 'You know who else doesn’t agree with everything I do? Michelle Obama.'

He told the crowd El-Sayed was 'fighting for change, real change, that will get money out of politics and put money in your pocket', and said the candidate would 'finish the job we started with the Affordable Care Act and guarantee quality, affordable healthcare to every single American'.

Attacks aimed at Trump

Most of Obama's fire went at Donald Trump, whom he accused of 'enriching himself and his family' and of setting a culture at the top of taking favors.

• •'Never seen a president so intent on selling favors like this,' Obama said.
• •He mocked defense secretary Pete Hegseth as 'laser-focused' on the 'jawline and testosterone levels of our troops', asking how much time he spends before a mirror each day.
• •On tariffs against Canada, he joked they were toughest on 'that well-known evil empire', noting the country that gave the world Martin Short and maple syrup lies a few minutes' drive from Detroit across the bridge.
• •On the White House renovations, he said 'He should be on HGTV' and that Trump had the building 'looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory'.

The race El-Sayed must still win

El-Sayed faces Republican Mike Rogers, a former congressman endorsed by Trump who lost the 2024 Senate race to Elissa Slotkin by less than half a percentage point; the Cook Political Report rates this year's contest a toss-up.

Republicans have not held a Michigan Senate seat in 25 years but see this seat as one of their better pickup chances. Trump has attacked El-Sayed throughout the campaign, calling him a 'jihadist' and alleging ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, which El-Sayed strongly denies. If elected, El-Sayed would be the first Muslim and first Egyptian American in the US Senate.

A mid-October Marist poll of likely voters put El-Sayed at 50% and Rogers at 48%, within the margin of error. To close the gap, El-Sayed must make up ground in Wayne county, where Stevens beat him roughly 51% to 45% in the primary.

Slotkin, a featured speaker at the rally, told the crowd 'Michigan believes in electing fighters' and, of her disagreements with El-Sayed: 'It’s OK because we agree on so much more.' She added: 'We’re putting a check and balance on Donald Trump in the White House.'

The rally also backed Jocelyn Benson, Michigan's secretary of state and the Democratic candidate for governor, who faces Republican congressman John James; a James win would make him Michigan's first Black governor.

Trump is due to hold a rally for Michigan Republicans in Port Huron, on the Canadian border, on Sunday; the city says it will be the first presidential visit to St Clair county.