Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers sharply criticized his Democratic opponent, Abdul El-Sayed, during Wednesday’s debate over alleged ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.
Rogers, a former Republican congressman and retired FBI agent, cited an open letter to the terrorist group that El-Sayed reportedly signed in 2012. El-Sayed declined to comment on the matter when questioned 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.
“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 continued. “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 expressed anger that Rogers had questioned his allegiance to the United States.
“To bring into question my commitment to the Constitution is really beneath you,” he said.
The clash was the second and final debate between the two candidates.
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During their heated first debate earlier this month, El-Sayed repeatedly declined to say whether he viewed Iran or Israel as the “greater threat to the United States,” dismissing the question as “ridiculous.”
Rogers, meanwhile, said he would no longer support Israel if the country used nuclear weapons.
El-Sayed also accused Rogers of accepting corporate money and being controlled by donors. Rogers, in turn, sought to associate his Muslim opponent with Islamic extremism.
The contest for the seat held by retiring Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., has emerged as one of the most combative races of the midterm election cycle. The result of the Nov. 3 election could determine which party controls the Senate next year.
Polling has consistently characterized the Michigan Senate race as a toss-up.
El-Sayed holds a narrow 2-percentage-point lead over Rogers in the latest RealClearPolitics polling average.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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