‘Are you for America?’ El-Sayed, Rogers clash in final Michigan Senate debate 

Republican Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers linked his Democratic opponent El-Sayed to Islamist terrorist groups while El-Sayed dubbed Rogers a “sock puppet” of President Donald Trump in a heated debate Wednesday night.

In the second and final debate in the Michigan Senate race, the pair clashed over the economy, the war in Iran and Trump – with months of campaign attacks spilling out onto the stage less than two weeks before Election Day. 

Rogers, a Trump-endorsed former congressman, and El-Sayed – a former public health official who would be the first Muslim senator, if elected – are locked in a competitive race to fill retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters’ seat. The race is receiving national attention as Republicans and Democrats battle for control of the Senate.

The latest Marist poll indicates El-Sayed is leading Rogers by two percentage points among likely voters. Michigan is a swing state that voted for Trump in 2024 but has not had a Republican senator since 2001.

Rogers questions El-Sayed’s loyalty to the U.S.

Repeating similar lines of attack from an earlier debate, Rogers said El-Sayed is “married to the Democrat socialist agenda” and questioned whether he was loyal to the country he is seeking to serve. 

“If you are going to go to the United States Senate, we need to know are you for America or are you for terrorist groups overseas?” Rogers asked. 

“My opponent can’t even condemn the IRGC, which is the terrorist enforcement arm of Iran, and doesn’t believe Iran is any more dangerous than Israel,” Rogers said.

He accused El-Sayed of being “bought off by the Muslim Brotherhood” and “having donors to his campaign from Hamas or Hezbollah.” 

Throughout the debate, Rogers cast his opponent as being too radical for the Midwestern state, saying “we cannot afford” his policies and “we cannot risk his ideology.”

“If you think about what’s at stake in this election, it really isn’t about left versus right anymore. It really is about the heart and soul of the country and who we are as Americans,” he said. 

His campaign welcomes Democrats who think El-Sayed is “too extreme” to be representative of them, including “Jewish Democrats who are afraid for their children when their daughters can’t wear their Star of David walking across Michigan’s campus.” 

“You have a home with us,” he told Democrats who feel El-Sayed is too far to the left.

El-Sayed has been campaigning on a progressive platform which includes abolishing federal immigration enforcement, Medicare for All and taxpayer-funded childcare, as Heartlander News reported. Endorsed by the far-left factions of the party, including Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, El-Sayed narrowly beat out moderate Democratic candidate Haley Stevens in the primary.

El-Sayed kept his talking points to the high cost of living, saying it “shouldn’t be this hard” to afford rent, groceries, gas and healthcare. He cast Rogers as a yes-man for Trump who stands “hip to hip with him” and a warmonger.

Trump’s planned visit to Michigan makes it clear that “Donald Trump is on the ballot through Mike Rogers,” El-Sayed said, later adding that Rogers can’t win the race without Trump “coming here and stumping” for him.

He also slammed the war in Iran, saying Rogers has “been promoting this war since before he was in Congress.”

“He’s got a war for everything and he won’t back off the war now,” he said. “The consequences of this war are that you are paying nearly $5 in gas, you’re paying more in groceries because of the price of diesel.” 

He frequently tied Rogers to Trump’s policies, telling voters “if you like the way things have been for the last two years, this is what he wants.” 

Heartlander News reached out to both campaigns for comment following the debate. 

‘This isn’t a close call,’ Jewish group reacts after debate

The Republican Jewish Coalition slammed El-Sayed as a “complete and total fraud” and said Michigan “cannot afford” his “radicalism.” 

“Once again, Abdul El-Sayed was exposed as a complete and total fraud. El-Sayed has lied about being a physician, lied about being a citizen of Egypt, has taken campaign funding from groups and individuals associated with radical Islamic jihadists and he’s bought and paid for by Chuck Schumer, who is pouring $35 million dollars into Michigan,” RJC spokesman Sam Markstein told Heartlander News when asked about the debate. 

“For Jewish Michiganders in particular, Abdul El-Sayed has totally disqualified himself by making excuses for the terrorist who tried to murder Jewish preschoolers at Temple Israel, saying, infamously ‘hurt people hurt people’ – and then doubled down on his disgraceful remarks,” he said. “This isn’t a close call. Mike Rogers is a distinguished Army veteran, former FBI special agent and former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee who will always put Michigan first.”

The Jewish Democratic Council of America didn’t return Heartlander News’ request for comment.

(Image credit: Screenshot/WoodTV8)