El-Sayed and Rogers clash over Trump in final Michigan Senate debate
Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers met Wednesday for their last debate, NBC News, The Hill and the Washington Examiner reported. They are running for an open Senate seat in Michigan. El-Sayed, a Democrat, tied Rogers to Trump, and Rogers, a Republican, again tied El-Sayed to the Muslim Brotherhood.
Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers faced off Wednesday in their second and final debate in Michigan's Senate race, according to NBC News, The Hill and the Washington Examiner.
The debate was tamer than their first meeting earlier this month, NBC News and The Hill reported. The race for the open seat of retiring Senator Gary Peters could help decide control of the Senate, The Hill said. Polls show a close race, NBC News reported. The Hill said several polls show El-Sayed with a narrow lead.
El-Sayed tried to tie Rogers to President Trump, the outlets reported. "You cannot win this race without Donald Trump coming here and stumping for you," he said, according to The Hill. He blamed rising gas and grocery prices on the war with Iran, NBC News reported.
Rogers again tried to link El-Sayed to the Muslim Brotherhood, NBC News and The Hill reported. El-Sayed has denied any ties to the group, NBC News said. "He keeps raising this question about this association with an organization I've never been a part of," El-Sayed said, according to NBC News and The Hill. He said it was "really quite beneath you" to question his loyalty to the Constitution.
"I'm proud to be an American," El-Sayed said, according to the outlets. Rogers replied that El-Sayed "could pray any way you want," NBC News reported. "This is about an ideology," Rogers said.
Rogers has tried to put some distance between himself and Trump, NBC News and The Hill reported. He has called for an end to the trade war with Canada. On Wednesday, he said the Canadian tariffs were not well thought through, the outlets reported. "The bingo game ought to be how many times can he put the word 'Trump' in any answer," Rogers said of El-Sayed, according to The Hill.
In his closing, Rogers made a pitch to Democrats who backed Representative Haley Stevens in the primary, The Hill reported. El-Sayed beat Stevens by about 1 point in August, The Hill said.
The moderators also asked about health care, immigration, crime, Social Security and tariffs, NBC News reported.
What we know: El-Sayed and Rogers held their last debate Wednesday, less than two weeks before Election Day.
What we don't: Whether the debate will shift a race that polls show is close.
Where outlets agree NBC News, The Hill and the Washington Examiner report that the debate was the second and final one, that it was tamer than the first and that Rogers again tied El-Sayed to the Muslim Brotherhood.
Where they differ The cited reports agree on the key facts so far.