# 45% of Michigan Voters Wouldn't Consider a Muslim President

- URL: https://twotakes.us/stories/45-of-michigan-voters-wouldnt-consider-a-muslim-president
- Published: 2026-09-19T01:10:02.446007+00:00
- Topics: michigan-senate-race, religion, islam, polling, el-sayed, media-bias

## What the left says
- CNN host Dana Bash's blunt reaction—calling the sentiment 'just gross'—reflects a broader discomfort with religious bias shaping presidential viability, especially against the backdrop of a candidate, Abdul El-Sayed, actively running for Senate.
- Commentary drew a direct parallel to Barack Obama's 2008 campaign, when many voters wrongly believed he was Muslim and used that as a reason for opposition, suggesting this bias has deep, recurring roots in American politics.
- The poll numbers show real electoral consequence: El-Sayed's support trails behind other Democrats on the same ballot, like gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson, indicating his religion may be costing him votes beyond normal partisan patterns.
- Even a meaningful share of Democratic voters (22%) expressing reluctance to back a Muslim candidate shows this bias isn't confined to one political side, which is treated as troubling rather than something to excuse.

## What the right says
- The poll data is presented factually, showing atheists actually face slightly more rejection (46%) than Muslims (45%), which complicates any narrative that Muslim candidates are uniquely targeted.
- The heavy partisan skew—78% of Republicans versus 22% of Democrats saying they wouldn't support a Muslim president—is treated as important context that shows this isn't simply an American consensus but a starkly partisan divide.
- El-Sayed's own associations, including ties to controversial commentator Hasan Piker who said America 'deserved' 9/11, are raised as a legitimate factor voters may weigh separately from religious bias.
- The tight Senate race itself—El-Sayed leading Rogers 48% to 45%, within the margin of error—is emphasized as the more electorally significant data point alongside the religious-tolerance numbers.

## Common ground
- The Washington Post-Schar School poll surveyed 803 likely Michigan voters between September 10-14 with a margin of error of 3.9 percentage points.
- Atheists faced slightly more voter rejection (46%) than Muslim candidates (45%), while Christians faced the least (7%) and Jewish candidates fell in between (20%).
- The Senate race between Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers is a statistical dead heat, with El-Sayed at 48% and Rogers at 45%.
- Both sides reference CNN host Dana Bash's on-air reaction calling the polling result 'just gross' as a notable moment in the story's coverage.

## Sources
- [Blaze Media](https://www.theblaze.com/news/cnn-wash-po-poll-mich) (Right)
- [Breitbart](https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/09/17/cnns-bash-just-gross-45-of-mi-electorate-wont-vote-for-a-muslim/) (Unknown)
- [Daily Wire](https://www.dailywire.com/news/michigan-poll-finds-nearly-half-wouldnt-consider-a-muslim-president) (Right)
- [Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/09/18/most-michigan-voters-disapprove-trumps-tariffs-canada-poll-shows/) (Lean Left)
- [Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/09/17/pollwatcher-inside-washington-post-schar-school-poll-michigan/) (Lean Left)
- [Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/09/17/michigan-senate-race-poll-finds-abdul-el-sayed-has-narrow-edge-over-mike-rogers/) (Lean Left)

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