Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, who is running for the Democratic Senate nomination in Michigan, continues to accuse former President Donald Trump of inciting terrorism in connection with the 2020 plot to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer. The candidate's allegations have resurfaced amid his primary race against Representative Haley Stevens ahead of the August 4 primary.
In a 2020 statement, El-Sayed said, "These are terrorists; that's what we should call them. This is the face of terrorism right now. We must act against it." The candidate added, "Why are these people radicalizing? It must be a radical, extremist cleric tweeting about things they think need to be done, like liberating Michigan."
The plot to kidnap Whitmer was hatched by individuals linked to anti-government militia groups, including the Wolverine Watchmen, who sought to end COVID-19 restrictions. The plan was thwarted by law enforcement in October 2020 before any attempt was made.
The New York Times later reported that four of the 12 people charged in the plot were government agents or informants, raising entrapment allegations.
While Trump did not directly call for violence against Whitmer, El-Sayed said he believes the president is at least partly responsible. Pointing to Trump's "LIBERATE MICHIGAN!" tweet six months before the plot was uncovered, El-Sayed said, "The idea that people would threaten her safety because she stood up to keep us all healthy is, I think, an example of the kind of toxicity we've seen from Donald Trump."
"The threat we see right now is radical, far-right white supremacy and terrorists who will destroy the basic norms and morals of our society," El-Sayed said, adding that such posts are emblematic of a cultural toxicity that makes violence more likely.
El-Sayed's campaign did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital about whether his stance on Trump's rhetoric had changed following the New York Times report.
