Christian Musician Kid Rock Compares Abdul El-Sayed to 9/11 Hijackers

On Friday night, at the Real Time with Bill Maher show, Christian musician Kid Rock compared Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed to the 9/11 hijackers, sparking a heated exchange. The discussion focused on El-Sayed, a Muslim physician and former Detroit health director running for Michigan's Senate seat against Republican Mike Rogers. Maher and his panel addressed El-Sayed's campaign, noting Obama's recent campaign with her, as Democrats make a push for the midterm elections.

Maher argued that reactions to Muslim candidates often swing to extremes. He then asked Kid Rock about his belief that El-Sayed posed a threat similar to the 9/11 hijackers. Kid Rock responded by pointing to El-Sayed's assimilation into American society and her education, but then compared her to the 9/11 hijackers. He argued that the hijackers were well-assimilated into American society, as they had been attending the United States for a few months before the attacks, just like El-Sayed.

He also expressed concern about Islamic extremism and questioned whether El-Sayed might be hiding radical beliefs.

Maher challenged the comparison, pointing out that the 9/11 hijackers, who were all Saudi nationals, had not been assimilated into American society. He clarified that the hijackers had entered the US between late April and late June 2001, while El-Sayed, on the other hand, had been living in the US for several years before her campaign.

Kid Rock responded with incredulity, questioning whether the hijackers were indeed Saudi nationals. He claimed that 15 out of the 19 hijackers were Saudi, while the remaining four were from the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Lebanon. The 9/11 Commission confirmed this information, stating that 15 of the 19 hijackers were indeed Saudi nationals, and the remaining four came from the UAE, Egypt, and Lebanon.

The conversation also touched on Kid Rock's defense of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who was criticized by Maher for his leadership. Kid Rock questioned the credentials of military generals who had opposed Hegseth, asking how many of them had actually served under him. Maher noted that all the generals and military officers who questioned Hegseth during the hearings had served in the military.

Maher suggested that Kid Rock's loyalty might be due to Hegseth's handling of an incident in March when Army Apache helicopters hovered near Kid Rock's Tennessee home. This prompted an investigation and the suspension of the crews involved, only for Hegseth to intervene and halt the inquiry. Weeks later, Kid Rock and Hegseth both took rides in Army Apache helicopters at a military base in Virginia, further raising questions about the use of military resources.