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Michigan Democrat Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed accused Republican rival Mike Rogers of questioning his loyalty to the United States during a heated interview Friday, while Rogers doubled down on allegations that his opponent has embraced the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood.
The candidates both spoke separately with chief political anchor Bret Baier on “Special Report” in Detroit, 11 days before the Nov. 3 election.
Baier pressed El-Sayed about a 2012 statement involving former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, who was affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood.
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Abdul El-Sayed got into a fiery exchange on “Special Report” Friday over a question regarding alleged ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. ()
“No, no, no, let me just stop there,” El-Sayed interrupted. “You are asking this question to raise a question about whether or not I have dual loyalties.”
Baier explained he was asking about allegations raised by Rogers’ campaign.
“I will be loyal to the Constitution of the United States,” El-Sayed said.
“Don’t be Rogers’ campaign,” he continued.
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Abdul El-Sayed, the Michigan Democrat nominee for U.S. Senate, left, appears with Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers during a televised debate at WOOD-TV, Oct. 8, in Grand Rapids, Mich. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, Pool)
“I’m asking a question,” Baier replied.
“Be a journalist,” El-Sayed shot back.
“I am,” Baier responded.
El-Sayed accused Rogers of making his Muslim faith a campaign issue, calling the suggestion “sad” and “beneath him.”
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El-Sayed says he has never belonged to the Muslim Brotherhood. (Monica Morgan/Getty Images, File)
The controversy centers partly on a 2012 letter that The Washington Free Beacon reported El-Sayed signed supporting decisions by then-Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, including calls to purge Egypt’s police and media.
El-Sayed has also faced scrutiny over social media posts from his half-sister describing their mother’s alleged involvement in Muslim Brotherhood activism in the 1970s. He has denied personal or family ties to the organization and said he was raised by his father and stepmother.
In an Oct. 17 interview, El-Sayed acknowledged that his sister-in-law was a plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging her alleged placement on a terrorist watchlist but insisted she had done nothing wrong. The FBI declined to confirm or deny her watchlist status. The lawsuit does not establish wrongdoing.
Rogers rejected El-Sayed’s characterization in his own interview.
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Republican candidate Mike Rogers became candid in an interview on “Special Report” regarding his views on the Iran War. ()
“I wore the uniform of the United States. Many in my family, including our son, wore the uniform of the United States so he can pray any way he wants,” Rogers said. “It is not how he prays, it’s how he thinks.”
Rogers accused El-Sayed of embracing the organization’s ideology and portraying himself as a victim.
“He has adopted the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood,” Rogers alleged.
Baier noted that El-Sayed had denied ever belonging to the organization and pledged allegiance to the Constitution.
“Does he disavow? Does he really say it?” Rogers responded.
El-Sayed had explicitly disavowed the organization at an Oct. 17 town hall, answering, “Sure. Yeah, absolutely” when asked.
The candidates also differed over the war with Iran, which El-Sayed blamed for rising gasoline and grocery prices.
“We need a war powers resolution to end the capacity for this president to wage an illegal, unjustifiable war,” El-Sayed said.
Rogers defended the original rationale for military action but said he has urged President Donald Trump to end the conflict.
“I’ve called for him to wrap it up. That’s the right thing to do,” Rogers said.
Turning to Michigan’s economy, Rogers said the state has lost 27,000 manufacturing jobs and faces some of the nation’s highest auto insurance costs. He also raised concerns about education, claiming roughly two-thirds of fourth graders cannot read at grade level.
Former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, the GOP Michigan U.S. Senate candidate, shakes hands with President Donald Trump during a campaign stop at the General Motors Proving Ground testing site in Milford, Mich., July 27. (Sarah Rice/Bloomberg via Getty Images, File)
Rogers defended Trump’s influence in Michigan, pointing to his support among voters and crediting his trade policies with encouraging General Motors to bring Silverado pickup truck production back to the state.
But the Republican acknowledged a disagreement with Trump over trade with Canada.
“I’ve come out and said we shouldn’t be doing the Canadian tariffs the way we are doing them,” Rogers said.
Baier also pressed El-Sayed over Medicare-for-all, and whether middle-class taxes would rise.
“I’m fine with people keeping their private insurance if that’s what they want, but I want guaranteed public insurance for everybody,” El-Sayed said.
Rogers disputed El-Sayed’s position, arguing that Medicare-for-all would eliminate private insurance and raise costs for Michigan families.
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El-Sayed touted upcoming campaign appearances with former President Barack Obama and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., while questioning whether Trump would help Rogers in Michigan.
With both Trump and Obama expected to campaign in Michigan over the weekend, the candidates are turning to their parties’ most recognizable figures as they make their final pitches to voters ahead of Election Day.
Digital’s Leo Briceno contributed to this reporting.
