Trump and Obama campaign in Michigan as midterm elections enter final stretch

With eight days remaining until the midterm elections, President Donald Trump and former President Barack Obama are campaigning in Michigan as candidates make their final appeals to voters.

(NBC)- With eight days remaining until the midterm elections, President Donald Trump and former President Barack Obama are campaigning in Michigan as candidates make their final appeals to voters.

Trump appeared in Michigan on Sunday, where he accused Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed of having ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, without providing evidence.

“I’m here to keep a jihadist Muslim Brotherhood member from becoming a United States Senator,” Trump told supporters.

El-Sayed, a Michigan-born physician, has repeatedly denounced the Muslim Brotherhood, which some countries classify as a terrorist organization.

“I love America. I’m so grateful I get to raise my two daughters here in America,” El-Sayed said.

El-Sayed is facing former Republican Congressman Mike Rogers in a closely contested Senate race.

During an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press, moderator Kristen Welker asked Rogers whether he agreed with Trump’s characterization of his opponent.

“No, I don’t. I’ve never called him a terrorist,” Rogers responded.

Obama campaigned alongside El-Sayed on Saturday, focusing on the rising cost of living and economic concerns facing voters.

“If you thought everything cost too much before, guess what? Everything costs more now,” Obama said, pointing to mortgages, health care, utility bills and interest rates.

The former president also criticized Trump’s White House renovations, joking that the building looked like “Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory.”

Trump responded on social media, calling Obama “a grossly incompetent president.”

Meanwhile, nearly 30 million Americans have already cast their ballots ahead of Election Day.

Trump joined those early voters over the weekend, saying he voted along party lines.

Michigan voter Tony Gooden emphasized the importance of participating in the election.

“I can either sit back on my couch and complain, or I can get on and do something about it,” Gooden said.

With Election Day approaching, both parties are intensifying their campaign efforts in closely watched races across the country.