In combative first Michigan Senate debate, Rogers and El-Sayed trade attacks
The first debate in Michigan's closely watched U.S. Senate race turned combative Thursday as Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed repeatedly traded personal attacks, talked over each other and even continued arguing during a commercial break.
Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers, vying for a U.S. Senate seat in Michigan, engaged in a heated debate that featured personal attacks, tensions boiling over into the commercial break. Moderator Rick Albin noted that the heated exchange continued during the commercial break, which had not occurred in 30 years of debates. The debate took place amid a tight race in the swing state, with less than four weeks until the midterm elections.
Michigan, home to about 300,000 Arab Americans, has been won twice by President Donald Trump. The November 3 elections will determine control of Congress, with Michigan being a closely watched Senate race. If El-Sayed, a Democrat, wins, he would become the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate. Rogers, a Republican and ally of Trump, believes that a rubber-stamp President Trump would lead to higher taxes.
Recent polls suggest that voters are mainly concerned about the economy and rising costs of living, with a majority blaming the President for his handling of these issues. Trump has suggested that the war with Iran would end after the midterms, and fuel costs would decrease shortly after. However, the war is unpopular among voters, and Rogers has run ads urging its end.
El-Sayed accused Rogers of being a "con man" and of having ties to armed groups in the Middle East. Rogers suggested that concerns about surveillance could be personal for El-Sayed, as someone in his family might be suspected of terrorism. The candidates also clashed over their wealth, with El-Sayed accusing Rogers of owning multiple homes and yachts, while Rogers countered that El-Sayed's wife might own properties in the UAE and Egypt.
El-Sayed dismissed a hypothetical scenario about choosing between Israel and Iran as ridiculous, stating that both countries have proven dangerous in their own ways. After the debate, Trump attacked El-Sayed on social media, calling him a "Jihadist lunatic" and referring to him as "Mohammed". The candidates are scheduled for a final debate on October 21 in Detroit.
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- El-Sayed and Rogers trade personal attacks in bitter Michigan Senate debate thenationalnews.com
- Trump rips El-Sayed after Michigan Senate debate thehill.com
