El-Sayed Joins Trump in Pushing to Slash Israel Military Aid
The new Michigan senator-elect supports cutting roughly $4 billion in annual funding, a stance he shares with the president despite recent primary disputes.
By Nathan Reed ·
Abdul El-Sayed will enter the U.S. Senate as the first Muslim member of the chamber, where he immediately aligns with President Trump on a major foreign policy shift. The Michigan Democrat plans to support ending current military aid to Israel.
El-Sayed defeated Republican Mike Rogers in Tuesday's election. The race highlighted deep divisions over U.S. support for Israel and the war in Gaza. Rogers, who held Trump's endorsement, campaigned heavily on his opponent's faith and foreign policy views.
The president has announced a plan to terminate approximately $4 billion in annual military assistance to Israel by the end of the year. El-Sayed publicly backed this move on Wednesday. He told NPR's Morning Edition, "I think the president is actually right on this policy."
El-Sayed went further in his interview. He called for a halt to selling weapons to Israel that he said are used for "genocide and apartheid." The U.S. currently provides Israel with $3.8 billion in yearly aid under a multilateral agreement valid through 2028.
The senator-elect also questioned American funding for other nations. He argued that tax dollars should remain in the U.S. rather than supporting military operations in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Pakistan. This position mirrors the fiscal conservatism he promoted during his primary campaign.
Primary rival Haley Stevens endorsed Rogers days before the general election after a dispute over Israel. That conflict suggested El-Sayed might face friction within his own party. However, his shared stance with the White House on aid cuts places him on the same side of that specific issue as the Republican president.
Some Jewish and Black voters in Michigan expressed concerns about El-Sayed before the vote. When asked if he still needed to work to earn their support, El-Sayed pointed to his victory as evidence against that narrative. He stated, "There's always more work to do. There's always more to build. There's always more conversations to have."
Source: NPR
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