With the 2026 midterm elections two months away, Republicans have been ratcheting up verbal assaults on Democratic candidates of Muslim faith. While these attacks have most notably come against Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed (pictured above), they may be emblematic of a larger GOP campaign against Muslims.

What are Republicans saying about Muslims?
El-Sayed has become a lightning rod for a host of anti-Muslim sentiment. The Senate candidate is part of something “very, very evil” that’s “on the rise” in the U.S., said Vice President JD Vance during a speech in Detroit. President Donald Trump called El-Sayed a “communist who hates Jews and Israel.” El-Sayed has disavowed accusations of antisemitism.

Republicans in Congress have recently been pumping up similar attacks against Muslims as a whole. “Every single Muslim holding public office in America” is a “threat to both national security and our republic,” said Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) on X. “The enemy is at the gates,” said Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) on X in response to a photograph of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. 

Why is this the new GOP tactic?
Anti-Muslim rhetoric has “quickly become a central aspect” of Republicans’ strategy to win the midterms, said The New York Times. The “number of Muslim Americans running for and winning local, state and federal elections has steadily increased over the past decade.” 

There has been an “escalation of messaging designed to raise alarm” about this, said NBC News. Islamophobia in politics “began cropping up” in the “aftermath of 9/11, and it hardened as Trump began his rise.”

Republicans say they are “raising legitimate concerns about security, extremism and the role of religion in public life,” said Reuters. However, many Muslims have beliefs that “dovetail with Republican orthodoxy, such as opposition to some abortion procedures and same-sex marriage,” said Aaron Hughes, a religious studies professor at the University of Rochester, to the outlet.

Some feel Republicans “may have trouble with anti-Islam messaging heading into the midterms,” said Spectrum News. Voters “care about core issues like cost of living,” said Matthew Eshbaugh-Soha, a professor of political science at the University of North Texas, to the outlet. “Social wars probably aren’t going to fly.”

Fox News kicked one of its biggest stars off the air last week. Maria Bartiromo (pictured above) was reportedly removed from network programming after she shared internal directives with the Trump administration. (Bartiromo’s reps deny she was fired.)

The network has a habit of minting high-profile conservative personalities and then abruptly discarding them. Right-wing messaging and news can change over time, but one constant remains: None of Fox News’ stars are ever bigger than Fox News itself.

Tucker Carlson
He became known at the network for his “inflammatory monologues on immigrants, Black civil rights activists, vaccines and national identity” and “emerged as one of Fox’s biggest names,” said The New York Times when Carlson was fired in April 2023. Fox News took Carlson off the air a week after the network settled the Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit for $787.5 million. He maintained a high profile, hosting an interview show on X. 

Bill O’Reilly
He was perhaps the original Fox News star, launching the show that became known as “The O’Reilly Factor” when the network first aired in October 1996. The “blustery showman” lasted 20 years, said NBC News when the network cut ties in 2017.

The host was undone by repeated allegations of sexual harassment. In one case, O’Reilly reportedly settled with a producer for $9 million. The network also paid out $13 million to a group of five women who claimed they were “victims of lewd comments, verbal abuse or unwanted sexual advances,” said NBC News. These days, he hosts the podcast “Bill O’Reilly’s No Spin News and Analysis.”

Shepard Smith
Unlike the previous figures on this list, Smith was not known as a pundit or opinion commentator. But his departure was notable.

He spent 23 years with Fox News and was an anchor for the network’s more traditional news-side programming. That made him an “outlier” at Fox News, said The Associated Press when Smith “abruptly” walked away from his contract in 2019. Smith had often “given tough reports debunking statements made by Trump and his supporters,” which drew backlash from the president and Fox News viewers. 

A municipal employee marks out spaces designated for displaying political posters in Salé, Morocco. The country’s general election campaign kicks off today ahead of the vote on Sept. 23, when 27 parties will compete for 395 parliamentary seats.
Abdel Majid Bziouat / AFP / Getty Images

In ever-changing Las Vegas, it might seem like nothing lasts forever. Hotels, eateries, shows and winnings come and go, but there are some institutions that stand strong. These iconic restaurants and bars have been serving good food, stiff drinks and memorable moments for decades, each one a vital part of the city’s culinary and cultural fabric.

Atomic Liquors
A night here is a little different now. Patrons, for example, can’t sit on the rooftop to watch nuclear detonations at the Nevada Test Site like they did during the early 1950s. But Atomic Liquors still has its midcentury charm, legendary neon sign and Atomic Cocktail, a “potent” concoction of vodka, cognac, sherry and Champagne that should be enjoyed “with care,” said Islands magazine.

Golden Steer Steakhouse
Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra were once regulars at this “relic of Las Vegas’ Golden Age,” said Condé Nast Traveler. Order the famous Caesar salad and bananas foster for dinner and a show — both are prepared tableside — and peek at the Mob Room, where made men used to do business.

Peppermill Restaurant and Fireside Lounge
The Peppermill (pictured above) is Vegas at its most grandiose, with 64-ounce Scorpions listed on the menu alongside “tantalizing” options like French toast ambrosia, beef bulgogi loco moco and the “legendary” Peppermill burger, said Las Vegas magazine. The real magic takes place in the Fireside Lounge, a dazzling spectacle of pink and purple neon lights, mirrored tile and faux greenery.