Milwaukee Bucks forward and NBA champion Kyle Kuzma publicly challenged former President Barack Obama’s campaign message in Michigan this weekend, arguing that voters in his home state are more concerned with economic hardship than with the religious identities of their elected officials.
Kuzma, a Flint native, reacted after Obama campaigned in Detroit on Saturday on behalf of Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson, and other Democrats ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
A Rally Focused on Faith and Representation
Speaking at Cass Technical High School, Obama suggested that El-Sayed and Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin could form a potent partnership in the Senate. He specifically pointed to El-Sayed’s Muslim faith and Slotkin’s Jewish faith.
Obama called the pair a potential “power duo” and told the crowd that Michiganders could take pride in having a Muslim man and a Jewish woman representing the state in Washington.
Kuzma was quick to respond on social media. “This desperate pysop (sic) is unbearable to watch in Michigan. so tired of listening to it,” he wrote. “1 in 4 black people in Michigan are below the poverty line and the message is Muslim/jewish duo is what we’re talking about.”
The 31-year-old argued that economic hardship deserves far more attention, pointing to poverty among Black residents of the state and questioning why religious representation was taking center stage in such a tight race.
“Last thing that Michiganders care about is a religious identity pitch. And on top of that Michigan is a state where the population of Muslims and Jews are both 1 percent. What are we talking about.”
Kuzma’s comments carried extra weight because of his roots in Flint, and because he has increasingly used his large social-media following to weigh in on political, economic, and cultural issues beyond basketball.
The former University of Utah standout entered the NBA in 2017, won a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020, and later joined the Milwaukee Bucks.
What Michigan Voters Are Saying
Kuzma’s critique aligns with recent polling showing that economic concerns weigh heavily on Michigan voters. A Fox News survey conducted in late September found that cost of living ranked among the issues voters considered extremely important in deciding their Senate vote, alongside immigration, President Donald Trump, and U.S. policy toward Israel.
The same September 30 Fox News poll showed El-Sayed holding a one-point lead over Republican nominee Mike Rogers. That margin falls within the survey’s sampling error, underscoring how competitive the race remains.
Rogers, a former congressman and former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, narrowly lost Michigan’s other Senate contest to Slotkin in 2024. He returned this year to seek the state’s open seat.
Michigan’s political balance has been equally tight at the presidential level. Trump carried the state in 2024 by less than two percentage points.
Obama Defends El-Sayed Against Attacks
The Detroit appearance was part of a broader Democratic effort to mobilize voters in the campaign’s final stretch, with Obama traveling through Midwestern battlegrounds on behalf of party candidates.
Obama also came to El-Sayed’s defense against attacks tied to his Muslim faith. He drew parallels to false claims about his own birthplace and religion during his presidential campaigns.
“They may even use your name or your faith to somehow suggest you are dangerous,” Obama told the crowd, adding that he had faced similar attacks throughout his political career.
El-Sayed, the son of an Egyptian immigrant, used the rally to stress his patriotism. He argued that criticism of American policy should not be mistaken for hostility toward the country.
El-Sayed has also denied any ties to or support for the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamic group founded in Egypt in the late 1920s. The United States, Egypt, and several other countries have designated the group a terrorist organization.
