Mike Rogers highlights Abdul El-Sayed’s alleged Muslim Brotherhood ties but stops short of echoing Trump’s rhetoric: ‘I don’t speak for the president’

During a CNN interview with Dana Bash, Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers addressed questions about President Donald Trump’s recent comments on opponent Abdul El-Sayed. The segment began with Bash airing a clip in which Trump mocked El-Sayed’s name and referred to him as a “jihadist.” She followed by asking Rogers, a former FBI special agent and former House intelligence chair, if he felt comfortable with language that she described as effectively labeling his opponent a terrorist.

Rogers answered that he himself had never called El-Sayed a terrorist. He explained that he had worn the uniform of the United States of America so that people could pray in any manner they choose, and he said that was not the core issue. Instead, he pointed to what he called El-Sayed’s relationship and family relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood, an organization he noted is banned in five Muslim countries.

When Bash pressed to return to the president’s exact wording, Rogers drew a clear line. He stated, “I don’t speak for the president. I don’t represent the president.” He added that his focus remained on the race he is running in Michigan rather than on comments coming from outside the state.

Interview turns to town hall exchange and local priorities

Bash continued to ask whether Rogers preferred that Trump avoid calling El-Sayed a jihadist, noting that the president is scheduled to visit Michigan. Rogers, who skipped a debate with El-Sayed over moderator bias, responded that he was concentrating on his own campaign in the state. He said the conversation should center on Michiganders seeking hope and opportunity.

In the same stretch, Rogers cited education data. He said two-thirds of the state’s fourth graders cannot read and that this leaves them with a 70 percent chance of going to prison or going on welfare. Bash observed that Trump keeps inserting himself into the contest by mentioning El-Sayed, who has also come under scrutiny for his ties to Hasan Piker, almost every time he speaks.

The discussion later shifted to a separate video from a town hall event. A participant asked El-Sayed whether he would disavow the Muslim Brotherhood, which the questioner described as a terrorist organization. Bash reported that El-Sayed’s reply was “Yes, sure.”

Rogers rejected that reading of the moment. He said El-Sayed had not actually disavowed the group and had instead offered what he termed a “word salad” in an effort to move past the question. Bash repeated that the candidate had said “Sure, yeah,” and told Rogers she did not want to turn the exchange into a debate.

Rogers questioned why the press appeared so ready to shield El-Sayed on the topic. He stated, “It’s an ideology, it’s not about him being a Muslim.” Bash maintained that her role was simply to stay factual and to quote the words used in the clip.

As the interview wrapped up, Bash said for the record that she was not defending anyone and was only trying to stick to El-Sayed’s actual phrasing of “Yeah, sure.” Rogers answered, “Sure sounded like it to me.” The back-and-forth continued for several more minutes before the segment ended.