As Michigan Senate race heats up, Vance calls El-Sayed 'evil'

US Vice-President JD Vance has waded into Michigan's bitter senate race, calling Democratic newcomer Abdul El-Sayed "evil" as he backs Trump ally Mike Rogers in the closely-fought contest.

At an event to support Rogers, Vance also warned El-Sayed to "keep my wife's name the hell out of your mouth", after the candidate appeared to suggest that Vance's late grandfather would not accept Second Lady Usha Vance, who is Hindu.

El-Sayed hit back at Vance later on Monday, accusing the Trump administration of pushing "evil" policies and of "starting wars abroad when there's peace".

Recent polling suggests he holds a narrow lead over Rogers in the key battleground state.

Speaking at a rally for Rogers in a Detroit suburb on Monday night, Vance repeatedly accused El-Sayed - who is Muslim - of being a divisive figure with little interest in bringing communities together.

"I realise that there's something about Abdul El-Sayed that is very, very evil and on the rise in the United States of America today," Vance said, adding that he was seeking to "destroy" the country.

"My message to Abdul El-Sayed is: You can pal around with terrorist sympathisers, and you can say that America deserved 9/11, or you could empathise not with the children who were targeted at Temple Israel, but with the attacker," the vice-president said.

During his primary, El-Sayed campaigned alongside controversial far-left influencer and Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, who once suggested that the US "deserved" the attacks in New York and Washington.