Michigan Democrat 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, while Rogers doubled down on allegations that his opponent has embraced the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood.
asserted
opponent → accuse → Brotherhood
The candidates both spoke separately with Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier on "Special Report" in Detroit, 11 days before the Nov. 3 election.
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candidates → speak → election
Baier pressed El-Sayed about a 2012 statement involving former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, who was affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood.
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who → press → Brotherhood
"No, no, no, let me just stop there," El-Sayed interrupted.
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Sayed → let → ?
"You are asking this question to raise a question about whether or not I have dual loyalties."
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I → ask → loyalties
Baier explained he was asking about allegations raised by Rogers' campaign.
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he → explain → campaign
"I will be loyal to the Constitution of the United States," El-Sayed said.
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Sayed → say → States
"Don't be Rogers' campaign," he continued.
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he → continue → ?
"I'm asking a question," Baier replied.
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Baier → ask → question
"Be a journalist," El-Sayed shot back.
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Sayed → shoot → ?
"I am," Baier responded.
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Baier → respond → ?
El-Sayed accused Rogers of making his Muslim faith a campaign issue, calling the suggestion "sad" and "beneath him."
The controversy centers partly on a 2012 letter that The Washington Free Beacon reported El-Sayed signed supporting decisions by then-Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, including calls to purge Egypt's police and media.
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Sayed → accuse → police
El-Sayed has also faced scrutiny over social media posts from his half-sister describing their mother's alleged involvement in Muslim Brotherhood activism in the 1970s.
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Sayed → face → 1970s
He has denied personal or family ties to the organization and said he was raised by his father and stepmother.
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he → deny → father
In 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 but insisted she had done nothing wrong.
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she → acknowledge → nothing
The FBI declined to confirm or deny her watchlist status.
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FBI → decline → status
The lawsuit does not establish wrongdoing.
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lawsuit → establish → wrongdoing
Rogers rejected El-Sayed's characterization in his own interview.
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Rogers → reject → interview
"I wore the uniform of the United States.
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I → wear → 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.
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Rogers → include → States
"It is not how he prays, it's how he thinks."
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he → pray → ?
Rogers accused El-Sayed of embracing the organization's ideology and portraying himself as a victim.
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Rogers → accuse → victim
"He has adopted the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood," Rogers alleged.
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Rogers → adopt → Brotherhood
Baier noted that El-Sayed had denied ever belonging to the organization and pledged allegiance to the Constitution.
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Sayed → note → Constitution
"Does he disavow?
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he → disavow → ?
Does he really say it?" Rogers responded.
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Rogers → say → it
El-Sayed had explicitly disavowed the organization at an Oct. 17 town hall, answering, "Sure.
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Sayed → disavow → hall
The candidates also differed over the war with Iran, which El-Sayed blamed for rising gasoline and grocery prices.
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Sayed → differ → prices
"We need a war powers resolution to end the capacity for this president to wage an illegal, unjustifiable war," El-Sayed said.
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Sayed → need → war
Rogers defended the original rationale for military action but said he has urged President Donald Trump to end the conflict.
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he → defend → conflict
"I've called for him to wrap it up.
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him → call → it
That's the right thing to do," Rogers said.
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Rogers → do → ?
Turning to Michigan's economy, Rogers said the state has lost 27,000 manufacturing jobs and faces some of the nation's highest auto insurance costs.
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state → turn → costs
He also raised concerns about education, claiming roughly two-thirds of fourth graders cannot read at grade level.
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thirds → raise → level
Rogers defended Trump's influence in Michigan, pointing to his support among voters and crediting his trade policies with encouraging General Motors to bring Silverado pickup truck production back to the state.
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Rogers → defend → state
But the Republican acknowledged a disagreement with Trump over trade with Canada.
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Republican → acknowledge → Canada
"I've come out and said we shouldn't be doing the Canadian tariffs the way we are doing them," Rogers said.
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Rogers → come → them
Baier also pressed El-Sayed over Medicare-for-all, and whether middle-class taxes would rise.
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taxes → press → all
"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.
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Sayed → keep → everybody
Rogers disputed El-Sayed's position, arguing that Medicare-for-all would eliminate private insurance and raise costs for Michigan families.
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Medicare → dispute → families
…and 2 more, not listed.
The Aporia
