Michigan Senate hopeful Mike Rogers torched his Democratic opponent, Abdul El-Sayed, during their debate Wednesday over his alleged ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.
Rogers, a former Republican congressman and retired FBI agent, brought up an open letter to the terror group that El-Sayed reportedly signed in 2012 — and refused to comment on when asked by the New York Times.
“So — being bought off by the Muslim Brotherhood, having donors to his campaign from Hamas that support Hezbollah, is not a problem?” Rogers said.
Michigan Senate hopeful Mike Rogers torched his Democratic opponent, Abdul El-Sayed, during their Oct. 21, 2026, over his alleged ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. FOX 17 WXMI
“If you are going to go to the United States Senate, we need to know, are you for America? Or are you for these terrorist groups overseas?” he argued. “You can grin, and you can smile, and you can talk real pretty, but I’m going to tell you what, that is a risk to our national security.”
El-Sayed, a former public health official, later fumed that Rogers would question his allegiances.
“He keeps raising this question about this association with an organization I’ve never been a part of … because my mom who is a nurse in Missouri? It doesn’t make any sense and it’s actually really quite beneath you, Mike. It’s really quite beneath you,” El-Sayed argued.
The Democrat’s biological mom Fatten Elkomy, a psychiatric nurse at New Horizons Community Support Services in Columbia, was born in Alexandria, Egypt, and previously worked for the Islamic American Relief Agency — a designated terrorist organization — according to 2010 federal court documents naming her.
El-Sayed, a former public health official, later fumed that Rogers would question his allegiances. FOX 17 WXMI
The 66-year-old was also an activist with the Muslim Brotherhood — a terror-designated Islamist political movement seeking to establish sharia rule in Muslim-majority countries — according to a social media post from her daughter, Eman Abdelhadi, El-Sayed’s half-sister, The Post previously reported.
When Rogers attempted to interject as El-Sayed was condemning him, the Democrat shouted him down.
“I’m talking! I’m talking!” he raged.
Supporters of Republican nominee for U.S. Senate Mike Rogers hold signs before a debate between Rogers and Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed outside the debate’s venue in Southfield, Michigan on Oct. 21, 2026. REUTERS
“To bring into question my commitment to the Constitution is really beneath you,” he said.
El-Sayed added that he is “proud of America” and “proud to be an American.”
Rogers used his closing remarks to court Michigan Democrats who may view El-Sayed as too radical to represent the state.
The contentious debate was the second and final between the two candidates before the November election. FOX 17 WXMI
“If you are worried … you’re a Haley Stevens voter and you came out of this and said, ‘Man I just can’t do it, he’s too extreme’ … guess what, you’ll have a home with us,” Rogers said.
“I’d like to earn your vote on Nov. 3.”
The showdown marked the second and final debate between the two candidates.
In their fiery first debate earlier this month, El-Sayed repeatedly refused to say whether he considers Iran or Israel to be the “greater threat to the United States” — calling the question “ridiculous.”
Michigan candidate for U.S. Senate Abdul El-Sayed speaks to members of the Detroit Economic Club inside the Masonic Temple of Detroit on Oct. 20, 2026. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Meanwhile, Rogers indicated that he would no longer support Israel if it were to use nuclear weapons.
El-Sayed also accused Rogers of taking corporate dollars and being bought and paid for by donors, while Rogers attempted to tie his Muslim opponent to Islamic extremism.
Republican leaders in the state were pleased with Rogers’ latest debate performance.
Start your day with all you need to know
Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.
Thanks for signing up!
“Mike Rogers demonstrated yet again why he is the commonsense, steady hand Michiganders want to see in the U.S. Senate,” Michigan GOP Chairman Jim Runestad said in a statement. “We cannot afford Abdul El-Sayed’s far-left, big-government policies, and we cannot risk electing a person who campaigns with the likes of Hasan Piker and seemingly justified the horrific terrorist attack targeting children and the Jewish community in Bloomfield Hills.”
The race for the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) has been one of the most contentious of the midterm cycle. The outcome of the Nov. 3 contest could determine which party controls the Senate next year.
Polls have regularly pegged the Michigan Senate race as a toss-up.
El-Sayed has a slight 2-percentage-point edge over Rogers in the latest RealClearPolitics average of polls.