Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers clash in final Michigan Senate debate
Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed clashed onstage Wednesday during the second debate in the increasingly bitter Michigan Senate race.
Key points
- Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed met Wednesday in the second and final debate of the Michigan Senate race.
- El-Sayed repeatedly called Rogers a "sock puppet" for President Trump, while Rogers accused El-Sayed of hiding extreme positions.
- The debate included clashes over the Iran War, Medicare for All and alleged ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, which El-Sayed denied.
Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed clashed Wednesday in the second and final debate of the Michigan Senate race. The contest is described as neck-and-neck and one of the most closely watched in the November midterms, with the outcome possibly helping decide which party controls the Senate.
El-Sayed repeatedly argued that Rogers would be a "sock puppet" for President Trump in the Senate. Rogers cast his opponent as untrustworthy and accused him of running from past, further-left positions.
Exchange over Trump and MAGA
El-Sayed called Rogers' platform a "MAGA vision" and said the former congressman stands with Trump on policies that raise gas prices and grocery costs. He invited the audience to play "MAGA bingo" in response to attack lines.
Rogers pushed back, saying El-Sayed wanted to make the debate about Trump and joking that the bingo game should count how often El-Sayed mentions the president. Asked after the debate about attending Trump's Michigan rally on Sunday, Rogers said he would go but did not yet know the final details.
He's going to bend to Donald Trump because he is a sock puppet for the man
— Abdul El-Sayed
Iran, healthcare and tariffs
El-Sayed pressed Rogers on the Iran War, calling for a War Powers Resolution and describing Rogers as someone with "a war for everything." Rogers said he has called for the war to end but warned that a nuclear-armed Iran or Iranian control of the Strait of Hormuz could push gas prices higher. El-Sayed said Iran's threat had been contained by the Obama-era nuclear deal, which Trump ended.
Muslim Brotherhood allegations
Rogers tried to link El-Sayed to the Muslim Brotherhood and suggested he had the same supporters as groups like Hamas. El-Sayed, who has disavowed any connection to the organization, called the allegations "shameful" and questioned why his mother, a nurse in Missouri, was being raised. Rogers told reporters afterward that he questions whether El-Sayed could get a security clearance if elected.
