It’s not every day that a candidate comfortably fires off a direct attack at President Donald Trump.
But with a former reality star back in the White House, even saying a name wrong can become a political issue.
One presidential joke during a Wednesday town hall in Farmington Hills, Michigan, has the internet in a frenzy.
Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed jabbed Trump over his verbal struggles during a campaign rally.
El-Sayed, a frequent target of Trump’s attacks since winning the Democratic Senate primary, mocked the president’s pronunciation while speaking to supporters.
He suggested Trump’s obsession with getting his name wrong keeps handing him fresh material to use against the president.
“Donald Trump, because he can’t resist the red meat, can’t seem to keep my name out of his mouth,” El-Sayed told the crowd.
He warned Trump, “Habibi, if you can’t say the name, don’t say the name.”
The candidate then imitated Trump attempting to pronounce “Abdul,” exaggerating the president’s delivery as the audience watched.
El-Sayed followed the impression by questioning why Trump says his name the way he does by holding on to the “L” too long.
“Why you gotta say it like that, man? It’s creepy,” he said.
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The former Wayne County health director did not stop with Trump.
Going in for one more savage dig, El-Sayed mentioned a top White House aide and longtime Trump ally.
“You know, Natalie’s gonna show him this clip, and he’s gonna be so mad,” El-Sayed said.
The remark referenced Natalie Harp’s close relationship with the president, which has recently drawn additional attention following comments from Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia.
El-Sayed has previously mentioned Trump’s executive assistant while responding to him online on Aug. 22
A day after the president’s attack during a campaign rally in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, El-Sayed posted a message directed at Harp.
“Natalie, I think he’s had a little too much iPad for the week. He needs his rest,” he wrote on X.
El-Sayed’s exchange with the crowd comes as he prepares for one of Michigan’s most closely watched Senate contests. He is expected to face former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers in a race that could help determine Senate control.
Harp became a renewed subject of political commentary after Ossoff referenced her during an Atlanta rally this month. While criticizing Trump, Ossoff mocked the president over his priorities and his relationship with Harp.
“He doesn’t want to do his job. He wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie on their apparently defenseless flying palace gifted by the Emir of Qatar,” Ossoff said.
The comment triggered an angry response from the White House, which demanded an apology from Ossoff. The senator has not issued one.
Natalie Harp’s unusually close relationship with Trump has drawn increasing attention in recent weeks. Newly surfaced correspondence offers a more personal look at the loyalty she has reportedly expressed toward the president.
As previously reported, Harp, Trump’s 35-year-old executive assistant, wrote him a series of letters that described a level of devotion that reportedly raised concerns among people around Trump.
Trump biographer Michael Wolff previously described portions of letters that reportedly came from 2023.
The Daily Beast later obtained and released the full correspondence from Wolff, bringing more attention to Harp and Trump’s relationship.
In one letter, Harp wrote, “You are all that matters to me.” Another section read, “I don’t ever want to let you down…I want to bring you joy.”
White House aide Natalie Harp wrote Trump a series of love letters that "unnerved" people around him:
"You are all that matters to me … I want to bring you joy" pic.twitter.com/SsnifgOnmw
— FactPost (@factpostnews) August 17, 2026
She also reportedly thanked Trump for being her “Guardian and Protector in this Life” and ended one letter with “With all my heart, Natalie.”
The correspondence reportedly followed an incident during a 2023 trip to Scotland. Harp reportedly apologized to Trump for embarrassing him while on the golf course.
According to one letter, she was told that guests were expected to walk rather than use golf carts. The White House aide followed those instructions before later attempting to catch up with Trump’s group on foot.
That moment became particularly notable after a photograph surfaced showing Harp running behind Trump’s golf-cart caravan at his Turnberry resort in Scotland. The image shows Trump and others traveling ahead while Harp appears to be running uphill behind the group.
Harp has worked with Trump since 2019, after her story as a cancer survivor brought her to his attention. She later received a speaking opportunity at the 2020 Republican National Convention before becoming one of Trump’s most visible aides.
She has earned the nickname “human printer” because she carries a portable printer and supplies Trump with printed stories and polling considered favorable to him.
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