More GOP Candidates Are Using Anti-Muslim Messages Ahead of the Midterms
More Republican candidates are using anti-Muslim language on the campaign trail, NPR reported on September 17, 2026. The report by Barbara Sprunt and Leila Fadel aired on Morning Edition at 4:45 AM ET. NPR
NPR reported the language has become more common as many Republicans try to move focus away from the economy. That comes in the final weeks before the November midterms. It has put attacks based on culture and religion at the center of paid ads and stump speeches — the regular talks candidates give to voters — in several races.
GOP ads for state and federal offices have used themes of fighting "Radical Islam" and "Sharia law." NPR NPR described that wording in a September 10 article titled "Anti-Muslim rhetoric finds a growing foothold inside GOP." The wording has not been limited to one race. It has shown up in House, Senate and state-level campaigns.
The focus grew after Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan's Democratic Senate primary. El-Sayed is a Muslim Democrat running for the U.S. Senate in Michigan. Reuters NBC News reported that Republicans stepped up midterm messages raising alarm about Muslims and El-Sayed after that result. NBC News
President Trump and Vice President JD Vance made remarks counted in that rhetoric, according to NBC News. Vance, the Republican vice president, called El-Sayed "very, very evil" at a rally. Reuters, in a Washington-datelined report by Richard Cowan and David Hood-Nuño, reported that Republicans are making Muslims a campaign issue in the 2026 U.S. midterms. That Reuters story was published on September 8, 2026.
GOP messaging was fueled in part by wins by Zohran Mamdani in New York and Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan. Mamdani is a Muslim American politician who had a high-profile win in New York. WUSF The two results gave Republican candidates and allied advertisers named targets. Strategists link Democrats to those figures in speeches and ads.
In Michigan, a town hall in Waterford on September 3, 2026, included statements of support for El-Sayed. The event drew attention as national coverage of the Senate race grew. Michigan remains a central battleground in the fight for Senate control on paper and on the air. NPR has also reported that a growing number of Republicans in Congress are using rhetoric against Muslims. That earlier reporting gives background for this campaign cycle. It shows the shift did not start with the general-election ad buys.
The broader context here is about message discipline and base mobilization in a midterm. For campaign staff, the choice is between arguing about economic results and making local races about national fights over identity and religion. The El-Sayed race is a test case. A well-known Senate nominee lets national figures, outside groups and local candidates use the same message across media markets. The risk is different by district. What works in a closed primary or a safe seat can change turnout and persuasion in a close statewide race.
