El-Sayed backs Trump's $4 billion cut to Israel aid

Abdul El-Sayed agreed with Donald Trump on a major point of foreign policy: the United States should stop sending billions of dollars in military aid to Israel. El-Sayed, who defeated Mike Rogers to become the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate, said he welcomed the president's announcement.

The president stated on November 4 that he plans to end approximately $4 billion in annual military aid to Israel by the end of the year. He did not provide specific details on how the cuts would be implemented. El-Sayed told NPR's Morning Edition that he believed the president was correct on this policy.

"I think the president is actually right on this policy," El-Sayed said. "I'd also like to see us stop selling weaponry that gets used to do the worst things, including genocide and apartheid, to Israel."

The current agreement provides Israel with $3.8 billion in annual military aid through 2028. El-Sayed argued that the U.S. should also reconsider its military support for Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Pakistan. He said American tax dollars should be spent domestically.

The issue of Israel defined the recent Senate race in Michigan. El-Sayed campaigned on lowering costs and getting corporate money out of politics. Rogers, backed by Trump, attacked El-Sayed over his faith and his opposition to U.S. military aid to Israel. Haley Stevens, whom El-Sayed defeated in the Democratic primary, endorsed Rogers days before the election amid a dispute over Israel.

El-Sayed acknowledged that divisions within his party remain. Before the election, NPR's Michel Martin heard concerns from some Jewish and Black voters in Michigan about El-Sayed. Asked if he still had work to do to win their support, El-Sayed said the election results challenged that narrative.

"There's always more work to do. There's always more to build. There's always more conversations to have," he said.