Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers and CNN anchor Dana Bash disputed how to address claims about Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed during a Sunday appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union.” The exchange followed President Donald Trump’s use of the term “jihadist” to describe El-Sayed, according to the account of the interview supplied by Fox News.
Bash pressed Rogers to respond to Trump’s characterization. Rogers said he had not called El-Sayed a terrorist, but argued that questions about El-Sayed’s views and reported family connections to the Muslim Brotherhood merited attention. Rogers asserted that El-Sayed had supported the group and criticized its role in society, pointing to its time in power in Egypt in 2012 and 2013. Those assertions were made by Rogers during the interview; the supplied account does not independently establish them.
Rogers also said El-Sayed had called for the “purging” of the press and police, and argued that journalists should examine those statements. The source material does not provide further context for the remarks Rogers referenced.
The two later argued about a viral clip in which El-Sayed was asked whether he disavowed the Muslim Brotherhood. Bash said El-Sayed answered, “Sure, yes.” Rogers disputed that description and said the broader issue was El-Sayed’s ideology. Bash said she wanted to be factual, while Rogers questioned why the press appeared eager to defend El-Sayed.
The dispute comes amid scrutiny of social media posts by El-Sayed’s half-sister, Eman Abdelhadi. Fox News reported that the posts implied their mother had been an active member of the Muslim Brotherhood. The source does not provide the posts themselves or independent confirmation of the implication.
El-Sayed’s campaign rejected the allegations in a statement to Fox News, calling them “racist and untrue.” The campaign described El-Sayed as a father and doctor who had worked to protect the health and safety of Michigan residents. It also said independent fact-checkers had debunked Rogers’ claims and characterized the attacks as an effort to distract voters from the Trump administration’s policies and their effects on household costs.
Fox News said it reviewed Grabien transcripts and found that several established news organizations were slow to report the initial allegations, and that some coverage focused on El-Sayed’s denial. The article said Fox News Digital had contacted CNN and Rogers’ campaign for comment; it did not include responses from either at the time of publication.
