Trump calls Abdul El-Sayed a Muslim Brotherhood member, a claim the Michigan Senate candidate denies

President Donald Trump again attacked Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed on Thursday, calling him a member of the Muslim Brotherhood and questioning the prospect of him serving on the Senate Intelligence Committee.

"His name is Abdul, but I call him Mohammed Abdul El-Sayed," Trump said. "He is a Muslim Brotherhood guy, 100%." He added: "How about having him on the Senate Intelligence Committee?"

El-Sayed has repeatedly denied having any personal ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. He has also rejected claims about family connections to the organization, calling the allegations politically motivated and rooted in attacks on his Muslim faith.

Trump also repeated his assertion that drug cartels effectively control Mexico, while praising President Claudia Sheinbaum personally. "She is a great woman, but the cartels run Mexico," he said, adding that he believes Mexican authorities are not capable of defeating them without additional help.

In lighter remarks, Trump joked that he has "some very severe problems" but that smoking and drinking are not among them, before adding that he did not actually know what those problems were.

Trump has intensified his attacks on El-Sayed in the final weeks of Michigan's Senate race, repeatedly referring to him as "Mohammed" despite knowing his first name is Abdul.