Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed accused Republican rival Mike Rogers of questioning his loyalty to the United States during a heated Fox News interview Friday. Rogers, meanwhile, stood firmly behind allegations that El-Sayed has embraced [1] the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Both candidates appeared separately with Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier on “Special Report” in Detroit. The interviews came 11 days before the Nov. 3 election, as the rivals sharpened their closing arguments to Michigan voters.
Baier questioned El-Sayed about a 2012 statement involving former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, who was affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood. El-Sayed quickly objected to the direction of the exchange and accused Baier of raising doubts about his allegiance.
“No, no, no, let me just stop there,” El-Sayed said. “You are asking this question to raise a question about whether or not I have dual loyalties.”
Baier explained that he was asking about allegations advanced by the Rogers campaign. El-Sayed responded, “I will be loyal to the Constitution of the United States,” and accused Rogers of turning his Muslim faith into a campaign issue, calling the suggestion “sad” and “beneath him.”
Abdul El-Sayed gets visibly angry when Bret Baier simply asks why he signed a letter in support of the Muslim Brotherhood. https://t.co/QCmmeMVOFS
— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) October 24, 2026 [2]
Part of the controversy involves a 2012 letter that The Washington Free Beacon reported El-Sayed signed in support of decisions by Morsi. Those decisions reportedly included calls to purge Egypt’s police and media.
El-Sayed has also faced scrutiny over social media posts from his half-sister describing their mother’s alleged involvement in Muslim Brotherhood activism during the 1970s. El-Sayed has denied personal and family ties to the organization, saying he was raised by his father and stepmother.
During an Oct. 17 Fox News interview, El-Sayed acknowledged that his sister-in-law was a plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging her alleged placement on a terrorist watchlist. He insisted she had done nothing wrong, while the FBI declined to confirm or deny her watchlist status and the lawsuit did not establish wrongdoing.
Rogers rejected El-Sayed’s characterization of the campaign attacks during his own interview. “I wore the uniform of the United States. Many in my family, including our son, wore the uniform of the United States so he can pray any way he wants,” Rogers said. “It is not how he prays, it’s how he thinks.”
Rogers accused El-Sayed of adopting the organization’s ideology and portraying himself as a victim. “He has adopted the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood,” Rogers alleged.
“It is not how he prays, it’s how he thinks.”
Mike Rogers takes aim at Abdul El-Sayed, accusing the Michigan Democrat of embracing the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Rogers points to his own family’s military service, saying Americans have the freedom to practice their religion, but argues that his criticism centers on El-Sayed’s alleged ideological views.
Watch Rogers explain his accusations in the Fox News app: https://t.co/ISpW9Fc0R3
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 23, 2026 [3]
Baier noted that El-Sayed has denied belonging to the organization and pledged allegiance to the Constitution. Rogers responded, “Does he disavow? Does he really say it?” even though El-Sayed had explicitly disavowed the organization at an Oct. 17 town hall by answering, “Sure. Yeah, absolutely” when asked.
The candidates also split over the war with Iran, which El-Sayed blamed for higher gasoline and grocery prices. “We need a war powers resolution to end the capacity for this president to wage an illegal, unjustifiable war,” El-Sayed said.
Rogers defended the original rationale for military action but said he has urged President Donald Trump to end the conflict. “I’ve called for him to wrap it up. That’s the right thing to do,” Rogers said.
On Michigan’s economy, Rogers said the state has lost 27,000 manufacturing jobs and faces some of the nation’s highest automobile insurance costs. He also claimed that roughly two-thirds of fourth graders cannot read at grade level.
Rogers defended Trump’s influence in Michigan by pointing to his voter support and crediting his trade policies with encouraging General Motors to return Silverado pickup truck production to the state. However, Rogers acknowledged disagreeing with Trump about trade with Canada, saying, “I’ve come out and said we shouldn’t be doing the Canadian tariffs the way we are doing them.”
Baier also questioned El-Sayed about Medicare for all and whether taxes on the middle class would increase. “I’m fine with people keeping their private insurance if that’s what they want, but I want guaranteed public insurance for everybody,” El-Sayed said, while Rogers argued the plan would eliminate private insurance and increase costs for Michigan families.
El-Sayed highlighted upcoming campaign appearances with former President Barack Obama and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., while questioning whether Trump would assist Rogers in Michigan. With Trump and Obama expected to campaign in the state over the weekend, both candidates are leaning on their parties’ most recognizable figures before Election Day.