Abdul El-Sayed, Michigan’s Democratic Senate nominee, appeared Sunday on CBS Face the Nation from Ann Arbor. Host Weijia Jiang asked about heavy Republican focus on him at the party convention, where the president, vice president, rival Mike Rogers, and House Speaker Mike Johnson all named him.

Johnson said Democrats in competitive districts claim to know figures like El-Sayed yet vote with socialists. El-Sayed replied that convention speakers skipped fuel and grocery costs, tariffs, a Canada conflict he said adds $5,600 a year for a typical Michigan household, fighting in Iran, and difficulty seeing a doctor. He said opponents instead highlight his name and faith to divert attention from policies he described as serving the president rather than the public.