Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has apologised for controversial comments he made following a terrorist attack on a synagogue in his state earlier this year. Speaking at a Michigan Democratic Jewish Caucus event, the 41-year-old admitted he "made a mistake" and should simply have condemned the attack rather than offering additional commentary, which many felt appeared to excuse the perpetrator's actions.

The attack took place on 12 March at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, allegedly carried out by Ayman Mohamad Ghazali after he lost several family members in an Israeli strike in Lebanon; no one was killed. At the time, El-Sayed, who is Muslim, condemned the attack but also said "hurt people hurt people", a remark critics said seemed to justify the assault by referencing the alleged attacker's own losses. Roughly six months on, he has now said his comments "may have been misconstrued" and apologised to anyone who found them hurtful. El-Sayed, who beat Rep. Haley Stevens in the Democratic primary, is now preparing to face Republican Mike Rogers in the Senate race.