{
  "id": 6567939,
  "title": "GOP uses 9/11 anniversary to bash left-wing Dems",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/gop-uses-9-11-anniversary-to-bash-left-wing-dems",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-10T09:10:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Axios",
    "slug": "axios",
    "url": "https://www.axios.com/2026/09/10/gop-sept11-midterms-democrats"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "As the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks approaches, Republicans in several midterm races are leveraging the somber occasion to criticize left-leaning Democrats, arguing they are anti-American and sympathetic to terrorism. This controversial tactic, once prevalent during the immediate aftermath of 9/11, has resurfaced with renewed vigor. In Michigan, Republican Senate contender Mike Rogers plans to target Democrat Abdul El-Sayed during his speech at the Republican party's convention, highlighting El-Sayed's association with left-wing streaming personality Hasan Piker, who once expressed views many consider anti-American. El-Sayed, a vocal critic of Israel's government and a symbol of the Democratic Party's progressive shift, has dismissed Piker's 2019 remarks as misguided, stating unequivocally that America did not deserve to be attacked. Despite this, El-Sayed has shown reluctance in severing ties with Piker, citing his popularity among young progressives. Critics accuse Republicans of employing Islamophobic rhetoric, while supporters maintain the strategy is a necessary means of combating hate. Similar attacks have emerged in New York, Colorado, and other states, with Democrats facing scrutiny over their associations with left-wing figures and their stance on American foreign policy. This 9/11-inspired onslaught is part of a broader Republican effort to portray Democrats as extreme and out of touch, hoping to capitalize on voter discontent over economic issues and paint the midterms as a \"who's worse?\" contest.",
  "summary": "DALLAS — Republicans are invoking 9/11 to bash left-wing Democrats in a growing number of midterm races , seizing on the 25th anniversary of the attacks to portray them or their supporters as anti-American and sympathetic to terrorists. Why it matters: It marks the return of a controversial political tactic that was common in the years after the 9/11 attacks but had largely faded from campaigns…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}