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El-Sayed And Rogers Clash In Michigan Final Senate Debate Over Trump, Iran, And Loyalty
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El-Sayed branded Rogers as Trump's ally and 'sock puppet' in the Senate. Debate centered on Iran policy and the United States’ Middle East role.
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Michigan Senate debate
Michigan’s final U.S. Senate debate on Wednesday featured Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers trading accusations about loyalty to the United States and ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, with Rogers asking, "If you’re going to reach the United States Senate, we need to know: are you for the United States or for these terrorist groups abroad?"
“If you’re going to reach the United States Senate, we need to know: are you for the United States or for these terrorist groups abroad?”
El-Sayed answered by saying, "Questioning my commitment to the Constitution is something that is truly beneath you," and he added, "I am proud of the United States. I am proud to be American. I am proud of our Constitution, which guarantees us all the right to pray as we choose," as the exchange turned personal.
The debate also centered on the war against Iran and the cost of living, with El-Sayed blaming President Donald Trump for rising gas and food prices and urging Congress to weigh in on the president’s war powers.
Rogers defended ending hostilities while warning that allowing Iran to control the Strait of Hormuz or develop a nuclear weapon could worsen rising gas prices, and he also argued El-Sayed’s healthcare proposal would require steep tax increases.
The contest was framed as potentially determining control of the U.S. Senate, with the seat no longer held by Democratic Senator Gary Peters and the outcome described as carrying strategic national importance.
MAGA bingo and Trump
El-Sayed repeatedly used the phrase "MAGA bingo" during the debate, telling voters, "You’re gonna hear a form of MAGA bingo, because the thing about MAGA is whenever they’re talking, they are trying to distract you," while Rogers countered that the bingo game should be about how often El-Sayed mentioned Trump.
Rogers cast El-Sayed as untrustworthy and tied him to Trump, while El-Sayed argued Rogers would "stand hip-to-hip with Donald Trump on all of his worst policies, the policies that are raising the price of your gas, making it impossible to afford your groceries."
Rogers also defended Immigration and Customs Enforcement, saying it has pursued "rapists and murderers, and gang bangers, and drug dealers, and human traffickers," and he argued it has had "a tremendous impact on crime."
El-Sayed criticized ICE tactics, saying, "He supports ICE running through your streets. They don’t have to tell you who they are. They don’t have to tell you why they’re there."
The debate’s closing pitches to Michigan voters emphasized cost-of-living concerns, immigration enforcement, and the war in Iran, with Rogers warning that voters would "pay $8 a gallon of gas" if Iran obtained a nuclear weapon.
What is at stake
The race was described as historic for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat, because El-Sayed would become the first-ever Muslim to serve in the U.S. Senate if elected, while Rogers would mark the first time since 1994 a Republican had won a U.S. Senate seat in Michigan.
“I don’t even know all the details, but I’d go.”
The debate was also portrayed as a national lever for party control, with Democrats described as vying to flip half a dozen Republican-held U.S. Senate seats and Republicans throwing resources at the contest to keep the seat currently held by Democratic Sen. Gary Peters.
El-Sayed and Rogers clashed over healthcare and public safety, with Rogers calling El-Sayed’s Medicare for All plan "outrageously expensive" and El-Sayed saying, "We cannot afford to have a United States Senator who is in bed with big Pharma," during his rebuttal.
On Iran, El-Sayed argued for a "War Powers Resolution" rather than a senator who would stand with Trump, while Rogers warned that Iran’s nuclear ambitions could drive up fuel prices.
The sources also tied the candidates’ final sprint to broader campaign dynamics, including El-Sayed’s plan to join Obama in Detroit and Rogers demurring when asked about attending Trump’s Michigan rally, saying, "I don’t even know all the details, but I’d go."
