This is the moment Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed clashed with a British reporter.
The confrontation came just hours before he won Michigan's US Senate race early this morning, despite a last-minute curve ball when Democratic congresswoman Haley Stevens turned against him at the 11th hour.
And Republicans ran a scorched-earth campaign to paint El-Sayed as a terrorist who would endanger Americans, with President Donald Trump labeling him a 'jihadist lunatic.'
His now-defeated opponent Mike Rogers also previously claimed that El-Sayed had 'pledged his support to the Muslim Brotherhood.'
Prior to his win, El-Sayed became visibly frustrated during an exchange with Sky News US correspondent James Matthews, accusing the journalist of following him around.
'Are you registered to vote in the state of Michigan?' El-Sayed demanded to know.
When Matthews acknowledged that he was not, the Democratic hopeful fired back: 'Then why would I care to have a conversation with you?'
Matthews explained that he was a journalist covering an election with consequences far beyond Michigan, telling El-Sayed that the result 'matters to the world.'
But the candidate was unmoved. 'You know how many votes I want to get into the UK? Zero,' El-Sayed snapped. 'I do not care what you think or the questions you ask.'
Abdul El-Sayed placed both hands on Sky News reporter James Matthews' shoulders during the tense election day confrontation, accusing him of 'chasing' him around
El-Sayed had placed both hands on Matthews' shoulders as the increasingly tense encounter continued
The exchange, captured on camera and shared by Sky News, offered a dramatic final-day distraction for a candidate already battling turmoil within his own party
Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed speaks at an election night event in Detroit early this morning, declaring victory
By this point, El-Sayed had placed both hands on Matthews's shoulders as the increasingly tense encounter continued.
'I'm asking you to stop chasing me around,' he demanded, before walking away from the reporter.
The exchange, captured on camera and shared by Sky News, offered a dramatic final-day distraction for a candidate already battling turmoil within his own party.
Fox News called the race for El-Sayed just before 2am on Wednesday. The Associated Press called the race for El-Sayed at around 2.30am Eastern Time.
'Michigan, we did it,' El-Sayed exclaimed before a crowd after 1.30am Eastern Time.
'To President Trump, I know you struggle with my name. So after JD swears me in, you can just call me senator,' he said, referring to the vice president.
The 41-year-old progressive, who has a medical degree but is not a practicing physician, has never held elected office and is the first Muslim elected to the US Senate.
His declaration followed a dramatic final stretch in which former Democratic primary rival Haley Stevens stunned the party by endorsing Rogers on the eve of the election.
Stevens doubled down with a barrage of attacks on El-Sayed, igniting a furious Democratic feud. But her defection also galvanized his supporters, with party heavyweights and major donors rallying behind the nominee.
El-Sayed's campaign raised $2.4million on Sunday — its largest single-day haul — as Stevens appeared alongside Rogers at a church event to cement her cross-party endorsement.
HIs victory preserves a decades-long Democratic hold on the seat. Republicans have not won a Michigan Senate race since 1994, have not won this particular seat since 1972 and have not won a non-presidential statewide election in the state since 2014.
Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Dr. Abdul El-Sayed visited a polling precinct on the campus of the University of Michigan on Wednesday in Ann Arbor, Michigan
El-Sayed is running against GOP candidate Mike Rogers for the open US Senate seat
El-Sayed, who was supported at a rally by former President Barack Obama, focused his campaign on the cost-of-living and Iran war, telling voters that 'Donald Trump's war in Iran is on the ballot.'
'Your gas prices are on the ballot,' he hammered.
Gas is currently at about $4.83 a gallon in Michigan, according to AAA.
On the Republican side, President Donald Trump personally traveled to Michigan to give Rogers a major boost, headlining a rally with him and making vicious, and personal, attacks against El-Sayed and his supporters.
'If Abdul and the Democrats win, they will open the floodgates and invite hordes of jihadis to our shores, creating a nightmare of violence and terror until you cannot even have a Christmas,' Trump told thousands of attendees gathered in Port Huron.
Trump said El-Sayed 'would be screened and unable to get a seat on an airplane. They certainly should not give him a seat in the United States Senate.'
Trump also attacked Jewish voters backing El-Sayed, saying 'Any Jewish person that supports this guy should be ashamed of themselves'.
El-Sayed was largely disciplined in responding by returning the conversation around costs.
In Grand Rapids he said the Republican strategy was 'to point at me and my name and my faith. But my name and my faith are not the reason you can't afford your gas.'
Rogers and conservative surrogates actively questioned El–Sayed's loyalties, alleging connections to groups like the Muslim Brotherhood, claims El–Sayed strongly rejected as Islamophobic attacks designed to distract from policy issues.
Heading into Election Day, public polling aggregators pointed to an exceptionally tight race, showing El–Sayed holding a narrow lead with a few percentage points over Rogers.
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