Former Rep. Mike Rogers on Wednesday used the final Senate debate in Michigan to ask Democrat Abdul El-Sayed a pointed question: Whose side is he on?
“If you are goåing to go to the United States Senate, we need to know: Are you for America or are you for these terrorist groups overseas?” Mr. Rogers said.
It was the latest push to tie his opponent to the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas, an attack that has become the heart of his campaign as Election Day nears.
People were interested in these podcasts
The son of Egyptian immigrants who is seeking to become the first Muslim in the U.S. Senate, Mr. El-Sayed countered that the Rogers line of attack was “quite shameful.”
“He keeps raising this question about this association with an organization I’ve never been a part of,” he said, alluding to the Muslim Brotherhood, a 98-year-old Islamist organization that seeks to establish sharia law and has spawned several terrorist groups.
“To bring into question my commitment to the Constitution is really beneath you. I am proud of America. I’m proud to be an American,” Mr. El-Sayed said.
The fight played out in one of the country’s top Senate battlegrounds. Both parties see the Democratic-held seat as critical to winning control of the chamber.“He is standing hip to hip with Donald Trump,” Mr. El-Sayed said, vowing to curb the war effort if elected.
Mr. Rogers warned that Mr. El-Sayed is aligned with the Democratic socialists, and that his big government high tax vision would leave people “lucky to have a damn pair of pants.” He said Mr. El-Sayed’s views on Iran and Israel make him unfit for the job, and this helps explain why Jewish Democrats are crossing party lines to support him.
“We cannot afford Abdul El-Sayed’s policies, and we cannot risk his ideology,” Mr. Rogers said.
Mr. El-Sayed countered throughout the night that Rogers’ attacks were designed to distract voters from the Republican’s ties to corporations and special-interest groups, and divert attention from Mr. Rogers’ support for President Trump, tariffs and the war with Iran, which the Democrat said have driven up the cost of gasoline and groceries.
The candidates also highlighted their ideological differences.
Mr. El-Sayed reiterated his support for Medicare for All, expanding the Supreme Court and universal background checks for gun purchases. Mr. Rogers warned Medicare for All would eliminate private insurance and said he opposes expanding the court. Asked about universal background checks, he said, “it all depends” suggesting there is a middle ground.
The debate showed how much foreign policy has seeped into the Michigan race, especially the fights over the Middle East and U.S. support for Israel.
Mr. Rogers and his allies have spent months trying to define Mr. El-Sayed as a terrorist sympathizer, pointing to his family’s alleged ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and other extremist groups.
Those attacks have only grown sharper. In a new TV ad, Mr. Rogers touts his service as an Army officer, FBI special agent and former chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Committee. He then says Mr. El-Sayed’s “radical ideology is a threat to our national security.” The ad also says Mr. El-Sayed is backed by Hamas sympathizers.
Polls show a tight race, though doubts about polling accuracy still hang over Michigan politics. The contest is also a test of whether Mr. El-Sayed can build a winning coalition in a purple state while running on a liberal agenda and openly challenging Democratic orthodoxy on Israel.
The race has drawn national attention, with both parties pouring in resources. Former President Barack Obama and President Trump are both set to campaign in Michigan this weekend for their parties’ nominees, with Mr. Obama appearing Saturday, Oct. 24, and Mr. Trump Sunday, Oct. 25, in St. Clair County.
The national mood isn’t helping Republicans. Dissatisfaction with high prices and economic fallout from the Iran war has created headwinds for GOP candidates across the country.
Mr. Rogers tried to distance himself from Mr. Trump’s tariff policies, especially the duties on Canadian auto parts and vehicles that have weighed on Michigan’s auto industry. He also called for a quick end to the war.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.