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El-Sayed and Rogers Clash Over Muslim Brotherhood and Gun Control

Updated 6:11 PM ET · 5:03 PM ETConfirmed

Politics Desk

In Short: In a heated Senate debate, Michigan candidates Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers clashed over El-Sayed's alleged ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and Rogers' stance on defunding the police.

El-Sayed accused Rogers of personal attacks and said, 'He's got a war for everything, and he won't back off the war now. He supports this war,' referring to Rogers' aggressive tactics.

Rogers, in turn, accused El-Sayed of deleting social media content about defunding the police, a stance that circulated among far-left Democrats in 2020 after the death of George Floyd.

Rogers also brought up El-Sayed's alleged support for the Muslim Brotherhood, stating, 'As a matter of fact, he asked the Muslim Brotherhood head, Morsi, in Egypt to defund the police there, too,' referring to the former Egyptian president associated with the group.

The candidates also sparred over Rogers' support for President Donald Trump. El-Sayed said, 'If you don't believe me, I want you to pay attention. On Sunday, when Donald Trump comes here at the invitation of Mike Rogers to remind you that, in fact, Donald Trump is on the ballot through Mike Rogers. They are hip to hip on this war, and you are paying the cost.'

Rogers defended his record, saying, 'I worked in a bipartisan way with my ranking Democrat. We sat down over the course of the summer and we cut out $11 billion of a $78 billion budget.'

El-Sayed criticized Rogers' fundraising, noting, 'It's curious that Rogers does not want to talk about the $64,000 he took from DTE or the funding he took from big pharma while in Congress.'

The candidates also debated healthcare and AI regulation. Rogers said, 'Medicare for All. He doesn't tell you how much taxes you have to get charged, and you lose your private health insurance. These aren't real solutions. These are solutions that are going to make your life more miserable. And it's going to take away your choices in healthcare.'

El-Sayed mentioned AI regulation, stating he would support having 'democratically appointed folks on the board of these AI corporations,' citing an existential threat to the workforce.

The debate highlighted the growing animosity between the candidates, with El-Sayed painting Rogers as an out-of-touch millionaire who would be a 'sock-puppet' in lock-step with Trump if elected to the Senate.

According to a recent Rasmussen Reports survey, El-Sayed leads Rogers 46 percent to 44 percent among likely Michigan voters.

The candidates' clash over personal barbs and accusations has dominated the fourth-quarter dynamics of one of the most anticipated Senate elections.

The debate also touched on Rogers' engagement with Michigan's black voters, with Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) noting that Rogers is engaging the community 'harder and more successfully' than any Republican she can remember.

What this adds

Background

What's confirmed

• "He keeps raising this question about this association with the organization," El-Sayed said.
• Rogers quickly fired back, reiterating a moment from their first debate when El-Sayed refused to answer whether Israel or Iran posed a greater threat to the U.S. "My opponent can't even condemn the [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps], which is the terrorist enforcement arm of Iran, and doesn't believe Iran is any more dangerous than Israel. This is an absolute nonstarter," Rogers said.
• Michigan’s Senate candidates clash in their final debate, with Republican Mike Rogers questioning Democrat Abdul El-Sayed’s loyalty to the U.S.
• “He did call for defunding the police,” Rogers said of his Democratic rival.

What's still developing

• "He wants government to go into these businesses. That is the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). [They] come in for your business and your future. And so, you need to really stop for a minute and think about, do you want somebody who wants the government involved in these companies?"
• A new poll shows most American adults are embracing “kidulting,” turning childhood hobbies into a major mental health outlet.
• “I’d like to be a part of the debate, too,” Albin said.
• “He gets money from people who support openly Hamas, Hezbollah, al-Qaida. His family was even included in those discussions,” Rogers said.
• He pointed to reporting that El-Sayed signed a 2012 letter urging Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood president to “purge the media and police”— a revelation previously reported by The Washington Free Beacon.
• The Democratic nominee is facing off against Republican Mike Rogers in the November 3 election for the seat being vacated by Senator Gary Peters.
• "If you're in doubt about somebody's name from the Middle East, just say Mohammed, you have about a 65 percent chance. 'Hello, Mohammed.' I've done it for years now. I've never been wrong," Trump said at a rally in Georgia on Friday, October 16.
• Continue reading … ‘A DANGER’ — CEO sounds alarm over rapidly advancing AI, potential for ‘large-scale attacks.’ Continue reading … GLOVES OFF — Walz looms large in final Minnesota governor debate as candidates clash in must-see moments.
• Continue reading … MIDTERM BATTLE — GOP senator breaks with Trump as Dem stakes out surprising positions in Kansas debate.
• "So think of all of the three things he just talked about. Put money in your pockets. It's a great slogan. There's nothing behind it. Matter of fact, when his Democratic socialist-aligned policies are engaged, you'll be lucky to have a damn pair of pants when you're done," Rogers said.

Sources

• Fox Newslink
• Michiganadvancelink
• Straight Arrowlink
• Theoaklandpresslink
• Michiganpubliclink
• Dailywirelink
• Newsweeklink
• Yemenonlinelink
• Wfmdlink
• WarpBeat — background on El-Sayed and Rogers Engage in Heated Debate Over Muslim Brotherhood and Gun Control link
• WarpBeat — background on Collins, Jackson Clash in Maine Senate Debate link
• CNN — video link