Down the homestretch of the campaign, Republican Mike Rogers is laser-focused on hammering home the point that DSA-backed Democrat Abdul El-Sayed is unfit to represent Michigan in the United States Senate because his loyalties are with America’s enemies.
Advertisement
It’s something the GOP Senate nominee has done on the campaign trail, at debates, on social media, and in interviews as part of a comprehensive effort to outline the stark differences between himself and El-Sayed so Michigan voters can be better informed before they head to the polls.
On Sunday, Rogers did an interview with CNN State of the Union co-anchor Dana Bash, where they talked about the Senate race, foreign policy, and the economy. But along the way, Bash let her TDS shine through when she kept pressing Rogers on whether he agreed with President Trump’s assessment that El-Sayed was a “terrorist.” Rogers smartly did not take the bait, and instead pointed to why people might feel that way about the Democrat nominee:
Listen, I have never called him a terrorist. I wore the uniform in the United States of America, so people can pray any way they want. That is not the issue here.
What has become the issue is his relationship and his family’s relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood, which is banned in five Muslim countries. You know, he wants to play the victim. This is not about that. This is about the way you think, not the way you pray. This is about your ideology and how dangerous it is. I mean, he has a long history of supporting the Muslim Brotherhood, which, by the way, diminishes women’s role in society, just as they did when they took over in Egypt in 2012 and 2013. He supported that regime.
Recommended
Advertisement
As Bash kept trying to interrupt him with questions about Trump, Rogers did not back down, talking more about El-Sayed’s (and his family’s) troubling history while also saying that “I know you guys want this to be about Trump. This is about Michiganders who are looking for hope and opportunity.”
Later, Bash played a clip of El-Sayed acting like the victim because a voter asked him a question about disavowing the Muslim Brotherhood. In turn, El-Sayed tried to make it sound like the voter was only asking him that because he was a Muslim, which was, of course, total garbage.
Rogers turned it around by noting that in that video, El-Sayed still did not disavow the Muslim Brotherhood, something Rogers pointed out that El-Sayed’s BFF, anti-America Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, has previously praised him for:
BASH: So he said, “Yes, sure,” challenged the voter and said the voter only asked him because he’s a Muslim.
ROGERS: No. So, Hasan Piker, who really came to the state, he had him here multiple times, five different events, took him to college campuses, and this guy is full of hate and vitriol, not only for Jewish Americans, but for black Americans.
You listen to his comments, this guy is as vile as they come. He has said he was excited about his answer because he did not disavow the Muslim Brother — he didn’t disavow it. He goes on this word salad, trying to get around the fact that he can’t do it.
[…]
It’s an ideology. It’s not about him being a Muslim. It — matter of fact, Muslims here in the state call our office a lot and say, we’re terrified that a guy with this ideology goes to the United States Senate.
I mean, that’s — these are coming from Muslims in Michigan, let alone the five countries that banned the Muslim Brotherhood. He can’t get away from it. His money comes from a group called CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, that supports the Muslim Brotherhood, right?
He has money coming from these groups. And if you listen to that, that’s not a — he didn’t disavow it. He didn’t say no. He didn’t say it worries me that they treat women differently under the Muslim Brotherhood’s view of Sharia law. He didn’t say any of that. He didn’t because he won’t and he can’t.
Matter of fact, it’s the only thing he hasn’t changed his opinion on in this election.
Advertisement
Watch:
WATCH: @MikeRogersForMI calmly dismantles Dana Bash’s attempt to force him to defend Trump’s attacks against Abdul El-Sayed, forces discussion back to MoBros ties, CAIR funding, and Hasan Piker. “I don’t want to debate with you,” said Bash as she was debating Rogers https://t.co/Gj2VV2WSoq
— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) October 18, 2026
Rogers was right not only not to take the bait on the Trump question but also the question about whether he believes El-Sayed is a terrorist. What Rogers has done, which is smart, is to lay the facts out on the table on this issue and let voters formulate their own opinions on who and what they believe El-Sayed is and whether they feel he’s a good fit for the Great Lakes State.
We’ll find out in roughly two weeks’ time what they ultimately decide. Stay tuned.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
Help RedState continue to report on the Democrats’ radicalism and inform voters as our nation faces a crossroads. Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.