Michigan senator-elect says he will likely swear on a Qur'an
Democrat Abdul El-Sayed told NPR he has not picked which copy, and the Daily Wire reports he backs replacing Chuck Schumer as Senate Democratic leader.
Abdul El-Sayed, the Michigan Democrat elected to the U.S. in the , says he will likely be sworn in on a Qur'an. He will be the first Muslim in the Senate. He spoke in an interview with NPR's Leila Fadel, published Thursday.
"I will likely swear on a Quran," he said, adding that he has not chosen which copy. He named two options: the copy once owned by Thomas Jefferson, which Keith Ellison used when he took his oath in , and an old Qur'an held by the University of Michigan. The Blaze reports that El-Sayed said Vice President JD Vance is "constitutionally obligated" to swear him in and called that a "delicious irony."
The Blaze also gives the latest count as 52.5% for El-Sayed and 45.5% for Mike Rogers. The Daily Wire reports that in the same interview El-Sayed said he would prefer Sen. Chris Van Hollen to replace Chuck Schumer as Senate Democratic leader. It says his other stated goals include for All, abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement and ending the Iran war.
According to The Blaze, El-Sayed said the oath means more for America than for him: "America is big enough."
- 52.5%El-Sayed's share of the vote, by the latest count The Blaze citesThe Blaze
- 45.5%Mike Rogers's share of the vote, by the latest count The Blaze citesThe Blaze
Three sides of the story
5 news outlets reported this · Little coverage from liberal outlets
Tap a color or swipe sideways to switch sides.
Liberal1 outlet
The senator-elect's win and his first-term agenda
In an NPR interview, Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed talks with host Leila Fadel about winning his Senate seat in the midterms. The conversation also covers his main priorities when he starts his first term in Congress.
Center0 outlets
Outlets in the center gave the story little coverage.
Conservative4 outlets
The Qur'an oath plan and El-Sayed's Islam-related record
The Blaze headlines that the first Muslim elected to the Senate "promises" to be sworn in on a Qur'an. It stresses his remark about the "delicious irony" of Vance swearing him in and notes it is unclear whether the University of Michigan holds the "oldest" Qur'an in the state.
The Daily Wire's "El-Sayed Teases Nod To Islam" adds his "100% American" answer, his preference for Van Hollen over Schumer, and his calls to end the Iran war and abolish . Breitbart News calls him "Leftist" and links the oath to the Jefferson copy, citing the Monticello website. It recalls its own earlier reports on his campaign confirming he followed Sharia law personally, and on Muslim Brotherhood claims he has "repeatedly denied or deflected."
It also notes New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's Quran oath in January.
Which side made the stronger case?
We will email you when the story continues. At most one email a day.
All sources: 5 articles from 5 outlets
Liberal (1)
Conservative (4)
- Breitbart News: Abdul El-Sayed Reveals Plan for His Oath of Office: 'I'll Swear on the Quran'
- The Blaze: First Muslim elected to US Senate promises to be sworn in on Qur’an
- The Daily Signal: Muslim Sen.-Elect El-Sayed to Take Oath on a Quran
- The Daily Wire: El-Sayed Teases Nod To Islam At His Senate Swearing-In
The evening briefing by email
One email a day, around 8:30 p.m. New York time: the seven main stories, each with its three sides, and the blind spot of the day. Unsubscribe with one tap.
A Telegram channel is coming soon.