The Trump-backed Rogers and El-Sayed finally met after the former ducked out of a previous debate.
“Mike Rogers, the great American Patriot and Republican Candidate for the U.S.Senate from Michigan, completely obliterated Mohammad El-Sayed in the big debate tonight,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “If this was a fight they would have stopped it.”
Trump cynically and falsely condemned El-Sayed as a U.S.-hating jihadist. Instead of using his first name, he called the Democrat “Mohammad” ― a misspelled version of El-Sayed’s middle name ― for an extra slab of dog-whistled red meat to his base.
“Mohammad is a Jihadist lunatic who hates our Country, the Black People of Detroit, and wants to see the U.S. fail,” Trump continued. “Short on Stature, Patriotism, and Truth, Mohammed’s statements have been loaded up with lies and deceit. I won Michigan BIG, and know that Mike Rogers, a total winner, is the man for you!!! President DJT.”
In the debate hosted by NewsNation, Rogers tried to insinuate El-Sayed’s mother was a terrorist because she was employed by a relief group that was later branded a terrorist organization by the Treasury Department. But she was never charged with a crime, and no evidence indicates she was aware of its illegal activities.
“He wants this to be about anything but his own record,” El-Sayed said of Rogers. “[He’s] going after my mom, my sister, but he’s got nothing to actually say about me.”