Republican Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers on Sunday declined to say whether he considers himself a “MAGA Republican.”
Asked on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” if he identifies as a MAGA Republican, Rogers criticized national media coverage and expressed frustration over what he described as limited attention to defections from Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed. “I get you guys on the national press, but this is a little bit disgusting to me,” he said.
Rogers pointed to what he called growing support for his campaign among traditionally Democratic constituencies. “The Democrat coalitions that we have are the fastest-growing coalitions we have,” he said, citing Jewish Democrats and Black voters in Detroit, Pontiac and Flint who, he claimed, say they cannot support El-Sayed.
Throughout the campaign, Rogers has sought to balance his appeal to President Trump’s base with an effort to avoid alienating Michigan’s swing voters.
As part of that strategy, the Republican has called for an end to the war in Iran while highlighting his relationship with Trump as a potential tool for persuading the president to roll back tariffs on Canada that have affected Michigan.
Rogers has also sought to capitalize on Democratic concerns about El-Sayed, making appeals to Black and Jewish voters.
“Mike Rogers is also campaigning rigorously in Detroit. I mean, every time you turn around, the guy’s in Detroit,” Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) said Sunday on CNN. Stevens challenged El-Sayed in the Aug. 4 primary.
Stevens and other Michigan Democrats have voiced concern about Rogers’ efforts to win over Black voters, who have historically formed a key part of the Democratic coalition.
Lon Johnson, who chaired the Michigan Democratic Party from 2013 to 2015, has publicly said he will not vote for El-Sayed.
Rogers has sharply criticized El-Sayed over alleged connections between his family and radical Islamic groups, as well as El-Sayed’s association with figures including far-left Twitch streamer Hasan Piker.
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A central focus of Rogers’ criticism has been alleged links between members of El-Sayed’s family and the Muslim Brotherhood, an organization known for radical offshoots that critics say provided ideological inspiration for Hamas.
In 2012, El-Sayed publicly supported then-Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, a Muslim Brotherhood leader, and urged him to “purge” the media and police.
Several countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization.
“Meet the Press” anchor Kristen Welker asked Rogers whether his attacks could alienate moderate Muslim voters.
“Remember, the Muslim Brotherhood is banned in five Muslim countries,” Rogers replied. “This is not about Islam. It’s not about how he prays. It is about his adherence to this radical Islamic agenda.”
He emphasized that many Muslims are an important part of Michigan’s communities and said they understand that they do not want to import “that hate, that division.”
El-Sayed has publicly rejected any affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood.
Following his final debate with Rogers last week, El-Sayed accused his opponent of repeatedly focusing on his religion.
“We had a little debate. Or I had a debate, and he just pointed at me and said, ‘He’s Muslim,’” El-Sayed said after the exchange.
The Senate race remains closely contested. El-Sayed holds a 1.9-percentage-point advantage over Rogers in the latest RealClearPolitics polling average.
