GOP Michigan Senate hopeful Mike Rogers on Sunday sidestepped whether he views himself as a “MAGA Republican.”
“I get you guys on the national press, but this is a little bit disgusting to me,” Rogers said on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” when asked if he’s a MAGA GOPer, while grumbling about the alleged lack of coverage over the defections of supporters that Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has faced.
“The Democrat coalitions that we have are the fastest-growing coalitions we have,” Rogers said. “Jewish Democrats say we can’t vote for [El-Sayed]. African Americans in Detroit and Pontiac and Flint say, ‘We can’t vote him.’ “
Throughout his campaign, Rogers has worked to carefully thread the needle between courting President Trump’s supporters and not scaring off swing voters in Michigan.
To that end, the GOPer has called for an end to the war in Iran while touting his relationship with Trump as an asset that could help him convince the president to wind down the tariffs on Canada that have rocked Michigan.
At the same time, Rogers has worked to capitalize on Democratic unease over El-Sayed, seeking to woo black and Jewish voters to his camp.
“Mike Rogers is also campaigning rigorously in Detroit. I mean, every time you turn around, the guy’s in Detroit,” said Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.), who challenged El-Sayed in the Aug. 4 primary, to CNN on Sunday.
Stevens and other Michigan Democrats have raised alarms about Rogers’ push to win over black voters, historically a core part of the Dem coalition.
Lon Johnson, the chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party from 2013 to 2015, has publicly declared he isn’t voting for El-Sayed.
Rogers has raked El-Sayed over the coals for the ties between his family and radical Islamic groups, as well as his own affiliation with figures such as far-left Twitch streamer Hasan Piker.
Of particular concern are ties between members of El-Sayed’s family and the Muslim Brotherhood, which is notorious for radical offshoots that critics claim were the ideological inspiration for Hamas.
In 2012, El-Sayed had been publicly supportive of then-Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, a leader within the Muslim Brotherhood, and urged him to “purge” the media and police.
The Muslim Brotherhood has been designated a terrorist organization by multiple countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
“Meet the Press” anchor Kristen Welker pressed Rogers on whether that line of attack might alienate moderate Muslims voters.
“Remember, the Muslim Brotherhood is banned in five Muslim countries,” Rogers shot back. “This is not about Islam. It’s not about how he prays. It is about his adherence to this radical Islamic agenda.
“A lot of the Muslims here are part of our community and an important part of our fabric here,” he stressed. “And what happens with that is they understand that they don’t want to bring that hate, that division.”
El-Sayed has publicly disavowed the Brotherhood.
After his final debate against Rogers last week, El-Sayed accused him of harping on his faith.
“We had a little debate. Or I had a debate, and he just pointed at me and said, ‘He’s Muslim,’ ” El-Sayed grumbled after their verbal bout.
Rogers and El-Sayed are neck and neck in the critical Senate race, with the latter notching a 1.9 percentage point edge in the latest RealClearPolitics aggregate of polls.
