Michigan Senate Race Sparks Muslim Brotherhood Claims and Backlash Against Rogers Attacks
WHO:
MS NOW - Detroit organizer Tashawna Gill chairs the Michigan Democratic Party’s Grassroots caucus, founded the African American Leadership Institute, and said some Black voters in retirement communities were returning absentee ballots without voting in the Senate race.
MS NOW - Focus: HOPE CEO Portia Roberson described longstanding economic and social tensions between Black and Arab Michiganders, saying some Black residents felt Arab-owned businesses had succeeded while Black residents were “locked out.”
The Washington Post - Mike Rogers, a Republican candidate for Michigan’s Senate seat, continued making claims that Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic candidate, had ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.
The Washington Post - The Muslim Brotherhood was described as a 98-year-old Islamist organization.
Fox News - Detroit Metro Times investigative reporter Steve Neavling said the newspaper would no longer seek comment from Rogers’s campaign.
Fox News - Neavling said Rogers’s campaign was targeting El-Sayed’s Muslim faith and accused Rogers of making “repeated lies and bigoted attacks.”
Fox News - El-Sayed was described as a physician and former Detroit health director. The article said he has a medical degree but is not licensed to practice medicine.
Fox News - El-Sayed’s prominent supporter Hasan Piker was identified as a left-wing streamer.
Fox News - El-Sayed denied that he or his family had ties to the Muslim Brotherhood in an interview with NBC News’ Kristen Welker.
Fox News - El-Sayed’s half-sister alleged on social media that family members, including their mother, had been involved with the Muslim Brotherhood.
WHAT:
MS NOW - Gill said her office sends about 70 canvassers across Wayne County daily and called the lack of yard signs in North Rosedale Park “scary.”
MS NOW - El-Sayed’s campaign said it and party groups spent nearly $14.3 million on paid media for Detroit and Flint markets, visited 45 Black churches, and held more than 125 meetings and roundtables with Black officials, faith leaders, and community organizations.
MS NOW - The Rogers campaign opened a storefront office on Livernois Avenue in Detroit; a campaign spokesperson said Rogers was the first Republican to open a Detroit office and had visited a dozen Black churches and visited Flint and Pontiac multiple times.
MS NOW - El-Sayed won the Democratic primary by one point against Haley Stevens but lost Detroit by 28 points; recent polling put his support among Black voters below 80%.
MS NOW - El-Sayed said tensions between Black and Arab residents were “deeply inappropriate” when businesses mistreated customers, adding, “I’ve never been one of those guys.”
NY Post - Abdul El-Sayed was pressed about a 2012 letter addressed to the leader of an extremist group in Egypt that he had signed; he repeatedly interrupted interviewer Bret Baier and said, “I’m not interested” in answering questions about the letter.
Fox News - El-Sayed and Mike Rogers also clashed on “Special Report” over gun policy.
Fox News - Neavling said the decision to stop seeking comment was the first time in Detroit Metro Times history that the newspaper had taken that step with a candidate’s campaign.
Fox News - El-Sayed and Rogers clashed over war powers and Medicare for All during a segment on “Special Report.”
Fox News - Neavling cited El-Sayed telling a town hall audience member “Sure, yeah, absolutely” when asked to denounce the Muslim Brotherhood.
Fox News - Neavling accused Rogers of suggesting El-Sayed believes “America deserved 9/11,” a statement Fox said was made by Piker.
Fox News - Neavling accused Rogers of inflating his counterterrorism résumé, particularly his role in the operation targeting Osama bin Laden.
Fox News - Neavling said Rogers’s campaign declined to answer specific questions for a Metro Times report and instead defended Rogers’s record and repeated an allegation that El-Sayed received money from terrorist organizations.
Fox News - Neavling said Rogers had attacked El-Sayed on public safety, women’s health, and Michigan’s auto industry. He cited Rogers opposing additional police funding, backing proposed cuts to women’s health services, and voting against measures to direct work to U.S. manufacturers.
Fox News - Neavling said Rogers’s campaign claimed El-Sayed wanted to ban gas-powered vehicles. Bridge Michigan found El-Sayed supported the Green New Deal’s clean-energy goals but had not directly advocated such a ban.
Fox News - Fox reported that El-Sayed opposed an electric-vehicle mandate and said Michigan should keep producing internal-combustion engines while developing EV infrastructure.
Fox News - Neavling said Rogers had praised the Chevrolet Volt and “clean, green cars” in an August 2008 message to constituents.
Fox News - Fox said the Rogers campaign and Detroit Metro Times did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
WHERE:
MS NOW - Detroit is 75% Black, according to census data; Dearborn has an estimated 105,000 residents, with Arab Americans thought to make up a majority.
NY Post - Baier questioned El-Sayed about the letter during an interview on “Special Report.”
The Washington Post - The Senate race discussed was in Michigan.
Fox News - The town hall, Detroit Metro Times, and candidates’ political activities were associated with Michigan; Neavling reported from Detroit Metro Times.
WHEN:
Fox News - Neavling made the announcement on a Wednesday; the article said the campaign declined to answer questions for the Metro Times’ Oct. 8 report.
WHY:
MS NOW - Gill attributed some Black voters’ reluctance to support El-Sayed to historic community tensions and said some seniors blamed him for perceived mistreatment in Dearborn businesses.
Fox News - Neavling said Metro Times stopped seeking comment from Rogers’s campaign because of what he called “repeated lies and bigoted attacks” against El-Sayed.
HOW:
Fox News - Neavling announced the newspaper’s decision in a post on X and explained it in a Metro Times report.
Fox News - Neavling’s report assessed Rogers’s statements across multiple topics, including the Muslim Brotherhood, counterterrorism credentials, public safety, women’s health, and auto-industry policy.
(UPDATED October 24, 2026 16:00 UTC)
Michigan’s Senate race has intensified as Republican Mike Rogers repeatedly alleges that Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, claims El-Sayed denies. Detroit Metro Times investigative reporter Steve Neavling says the paper will no longer seek comment from Rogers’s campaign, accusing it of repeated lies and bigoted attacks. Neavling also criticized Rogers’s claims about El-Sayed’s views and counterterrorism record. The candidates have clashed publicly over gun policy, war powers and Medicare for All, while El-Sayed faced questions about a letter he signed in 2012. Beyond the campaign attacks, El-Sayed is working to win over Black voters, whose support has fallen below 80 percent in recent polling. Detroit organizer Tashawna Gill says some seniors are withholding votes amid longstanding tensions between Black and Arab communities.
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(UPDATED October 24, 2026 04:06 UTC)
Michigan’s Senate race has grown more contentious as Republican Mike Rogers continues linking Democrat Abdul El-Sayed to the Muslim Brotherhood, a 98-year-old Islamist organization. El-Sayed has denied that he or his family had ties to the group, though his half-sister has alleged online that relatives, including their mother, were involved. During a television interview, El-Sayed was pressed about a 2012 letter addressed to an extremist group’s leader in Egypt; he declined to answer questions about it. The candidates also clashed over gun policy, war powers and Medicare for All. Detroit Metro Times investigative reporter Steve Neavling says the newspaper will no longer seek comment from Rogers’s campaign, citing what he called repeated lies and bigoted attacks targeting El-Sayed’s Muslim faith. Neavling also challenged Rogers’s claims about El-Sayed’s positions on vehicles and his own counterterrorism record.
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(UPDATED October 24, 2026 03:04 UTC)
A dispute over allegations involving the Muslim Brotherhood is intensifying in Michigan’s Senate race, as Republican Mike Rogers continues claiming Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed has ties to the group. El-Sayed, a physician and former Detroit health director, has denied that he or his family has such connections. His half-sister has alleged on social media that family members, including their mother, were involved. Detroit Metro Times investigative reporter Steve Neavling says the newspaper will no longer seek comment from Rogers’s campaign, accusing it of repeated lies and bigoted attacks targeting El-Sayed’s Muslim faith. Neavling says the campaign declined to answer specific questions and instead defended Rogers while repeating an allegation that El-Sayed received money from terrorist organizations. He also challenged Rogers’s counterterrorism credentials and claims about El-Sayed’s positions on policing, women’s health and gas-powered cars. El-Sayed opposes an electric-vehicle mandate and supports continued production of internal-combustion engines in Michigan.
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(UPDATED October 23, 2026 20:14 UTC)
A Michigan Senate race has intensified over Republican Mike Rogers’s claims linking Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed and his family to the Muslim Brotherhood. El-Sayed, a physician and former Detroit health director, denied any family ties in an interview and told a town hall audience he would denounce the organization. Detroit Metro Times investigative reporter Steve Neavling said the newspaper would stop seeking comment from Rogers’s campaign, accusing it of repeated lies and bigoted attacks targeting El-Sayed’s Muslim faith. Neavling also challenged Rogers’s counterterrorism credentials and criticized claims that El-Sayed believes America deserved the September 11 attacks, a statement attributed to supporter Hasan Piker. The report disputed Rogers’s assertion that El-Sayed wants to ban gas-powered vehicles; El-Sayed opposes an electric-vehicle mandate and supports continued production of conventional engines. Neavling also questioned Rogers’s claims on public safety, women’s health and manufacturing.