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Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed traded sharp criticism during a debate less than two weeks before Election Day.
Rogers highlighted manufacturing job losses and high utility and auto insurance costs, while El-Sayed emphasized lowering living costs and expanding access to health care.
El-Sayed criticized Rogers’ alignment with President Donald Trump’s policies. Rogers countered that El-Sayed repeatedly invoked Trump in his answers.
Rogers accused El-Sayed of wanting to defund law enforcement, an allegation El-Sayed denies.
Rogers defended Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), while El-Sayed criticized the agency’s tactics.
Rogers called El-Sayed’s health care proposal too expensive. El-Sayed accused Rogers of being too closely aligned with the pharmaceutical industry.
Rogers warned of economic consequences if Iran obtained a nuclear weapon, while El-Sayed accused Rogers of repeatedly advocating for war.
El-Sayed opposed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, calling it voter suppression. Rogers supported requiring photo ID to vote.
The candidates also debated education, cybersecurity and Michigan’s future.
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — U.S. Senate candidates Mike Rogers and Abdul El-Sayed traded sharp criticism during a debate less than two weeks before Election Day, making their closing pitches to Michigan voters on issues including the cost of living, immigration enforcement, and the war in Iran.
Rogers focused on the loss of Michigan manufacturing jobs and high utility and auto insurance costs.
He also accused El-Sayed of wanting to raise taxes. El-Sayed emphasized lowering living costs and expanding access to health care, while accusing Rogers of closely aligning with President Donald Trump’s policies.
“You’re gonna hear a form of MAGA bingo, because the thing about MAGA is whenever they’re talking, they are trying to distract you,” El-Sayed said. “They’re going to use buzzwords.”
Later in the debate, Rogers countered: “The bingo game ought to be how many times can he put the word Trump in any answer that he has given.”
El-Sayed and Rogers clashed about public safety, with Rogers accusing El-Sayed of wanting to defund law enforcement, which El-Sayed denies, and other topics ranging from how to improve education in Michigan to cybersecurity.
The candidates also clashed over immigration enforcement. Rogers defended Immigration and Customs Enforcement, saying it has pursued “rapists and murderers, and gang bangers, and drug dealers, and human traffickers” and has had “a tremendous impact on crime.”
El-Sayed criticized the agency’s tactics, saying, “He supports ICE running through your streets. They don’t have to tell you who they are. They don’t have to tell you why they’re there.”
The candidates also again clashed over El-Sayed’s Medicare for All plan. Rogers said other Democrats wouldn’t support the plan because “it’s outrageously expensive.”
“We cannot afford to have a United States Senator who is in bed with big Pharma,” El-Sayed said during his rebuttal.
On Iran, Rogers warned that allowing the country to obtain a nuclear weapon could mean voters would “pay $8 a gallon of gas.”
El-Sayed accused Rogers of promoting war for years, saying, “He’s got a war for everything, and he won’t back off the war now.”
When asked about the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require voters to show a photo ID at the polls, El-Sayed said he opposed the bill, calling it voter suppression. Rogers said he would support it, calling it “reasonable and rational” to ask for voter ID.
You can see more clips from the debate here.
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