Milwaukee Bucks forward 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 problems than with the religious identities of their elected officials. Kuzma, a Flint native, responded after Obama campaigned in Detroit on Saturday ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
Obama spoke at a rally at Cass Technical High School in support of Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson, and other Democrats. During the event, he pointed to the possibility of El-Sayed serving alongside Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin, highlighting El-Sayed’s Muslim faith and Slotkin’s Jewish faith.
Obama described the pair as a potential “power duo” and told the audience that voters could take pride in having a Muslim man and a Jewish woman representing Michigan in the Senate.
Kuzma was quick to push back. “This desperate psyop 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 specifically to poverty among Black residents of Michigan. He questioned why religious representation was being emphasized in such a closely contested race.
“Last thing that Michiganders care about is a religious identity pitch,” he added. “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 his growing presence on social media, where he has increasingly weighed 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.
Economic Concerns Dominate Michigan Polling
Kuzma’s criticism aligns with polling showing that economic issues weigh heavily on Michigan voters. A Fox News poll 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 poll showed El-Sayed with a one-point lead over Republican nominee Mike Rogers. That margin falls within the survey’s sampling error, underscoring how tight the race remains. Rogers, a former congressman and former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, narrowly lost Michigan’s other Senate race to Slotkin in 2024 and is now competing for the state’s open seat.
Michigan has also grown increasingly competitive in statewide contests. Trump carried the state in the 2024 presidential election by less than two percentage points.
Obama Defends El-Sayed Against Faith-Based Attacks
Obama’s Detroit appearance was part of a broader Democratic effort to mobilize voters in the final days of the campaign, as the former president traveled through Midwestern battlegrounds on behalf of Democratic candidates.
He also came to El-Sayed’s defense against attacks tied to his Muslim faith, drawing comparisons to false claims about Obama’s 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 emphasize his patriotism. He argued that criticism of American policies should not be mistaken for hostility toward the country. He has also denied any ties to or support for the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamic group founded in Egypt in the late 1920s that the U.S., Egypt and other countries have designated as a terrorist organization.
