Rogers and El-Sayed trade insults over Iran, tariffs in Michigan debate
Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers met Thursday night in Grand Rapids for their first Michigan Senate debate. They fought over the Iran war, gas prices and tariffs, and the insults kept flying even during the break. The open seat could help decide control of the Senate, and the two meet again Oct. 21.
Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers held their first Michigan Senate debate Thursday night in Grand Rapids. The hour on WOOD-TV was so heated that moderator Rick Albin pleaded with them to "work with me."
"In 30 years of doing debates, I've never seen it continue during the commercial," Albin told viewers after the only break, the Washington Examiner reported.
El-Sayed called Rogers "weak," "cowardly" and a "sock puppet" for the Trump administration. Rogers called El-Sayed a "glitchy AI chatbot" and a "con man," CBS News reported.
The first question was about gas prices. Both men said they would back pausing the federal gas tax, NBC News reported. El-Sayed blamed the Iran war for high prices and said Rogers had cheered it on. Rogers, who first backed the war, said "this would be the time to wrap it up."
On trade, Rogers said he had called the White House and talked to the commerce secretary "about getting the deal done" with Canada. El-Sayed said Rogers changed his tune only because of "his sagging poll numbers."
Rogers said this year's immigration raids in Minneapolis were "probably not appropriate." El-Sayed, who wants to abolish ICE, said a violent criminal living here illegally should be deported. Asked twice whether Israel or Iran is the bigger threat, he called it a "ridiculous hypothetical."
Rogers kept calling El-Sayed a fake doctor. The Detroit Free Press noted that El-Sayed has a medical degree from Columbia but never did a residency, so he cannot treat patients. The paper also called Rogers' claims about El-Sayed's family and donors' ties to terror groups misleading.
The seat is open because Democratic Sen. Gary Peters is retiring. Republicans have not won a Michigan Senate race since 1994. A polling average cited by the Free Press had El-Sayed ahead 48.1% to 44.9%. The Free Press has a replay of the debate. The second debate is Oct. 21 on WXYZ-TV in Detroit.
What we know: Both candidates support pausing the federal gas tax and say the Iran war should end.
What we don't: Whether a debate this bitter moves a race that polls call close.
Where outlets agree NBC News and the Washington Examiner both report that El-Sayed called the question of whether Israel or Iran is the bigger threat a "ridiculous hypothetical."
Where they differ The Washington Examiner says the debate produced no policy agreements, while NBC News reports both candidates said they would support pausing the federal gas tax.