Mike Rogers Clashes With 'Meet the Press' Host Over El-Sayed and the Muslim Brotherhood: 'You Are Giving Him a Pass'
Michigan Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers clashed with NBC "Meet the Press" moderator Kristen Welker on Sunday over his allegations about Democratic opponent Abdul El-Sayed and the Muslim Brotherhood, accusing her of going easy on his rival, Fox News Digital reported.
Welker said El-Sayed had already disavowed any ties to the group and defended her earlier interview with him, in which he denied any ties, according to Fox News Digital. "No, he has not, he dismissed the question ... I don't know why you give this guy a pass," Rogers said as the two talked over each other. "You are giving him a pass on something he should be accountable for."
What Mike Rogers Said About Trump's Words
Welker pressed Rogers about President Donald Trump calling El-Sayed a "jihadist" and a "violent terrorist," saying there was no evidence to support the accusation, according to NBC News and Fox News Digital. Rogers said he had not made that accusation himself. "I've never called him a terrorist," Rogers said, according to NBC News.
Welker also displayed a 2012 quote in which Rogers said the U.S. would have to "reach out to and talk to" moderate members of the Muslim Brotherhood, Fox News Digital reported. Rogers said that, as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee at the time, his focus was on preserving intelligence cooperation involving Egypt to prevent more violence in the region.
"What you're doing now is trying to twist this thing to defend your position for letting him lie to you," Rogers told Welker, according to Fox News Digital.
The 2012 Morsi Letter and Family Posts
Rogers' allegations stem in part from a November 2012 letter backing then-Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, who was supported by the Muslim Brotherhood. The Washington Free Beacon reported that El-Sayed was among 46 Egyptian American community figures who signed the letter, according to Fox News Digital.
Social media posts from 2012 by El-Sayed's half-sister, Eman Abdelhadi, said, "My family has long been MB," Fox News Digital reported. The Associated Press has reported that there is no evidence El-Sayed himself has any affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood.
Rogers campaign spokesperson Abby Ronson told Fox News Digital that every time El-Sayed is asked about the group, "he deflects, gets angry and dismisses the question. Michiganders deserve an answer on what should be an incredibly easy question to answer."
El-Sayed's Response
El-Sayed has said he was raised by his father and stepmother and has accused Rogers of exploiting his Muslim faith for political purposes, Fox News Digital reported. He has called attacks on his loyalty "shameful" and has repeatedly denied ties to extremist groups, according to the AP.
The exchange came the same day Trump rallied for Rogers in Port Huron. Rogers and El-Sayed are running for the seat of retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters in one of a handful of races that could decide control of the Senate on Nov. 3, the AP reported.
Images: Former Rep. Mike Rogers at the Hudson Institute in 2015 (file photo), Hudson Institute, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0; Abdul El-Sayed in October 2025 (file photo), Conlan Houston, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Yossi Schmidt, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, The Digital Free Press
Hold Everyone Accountable.
Sources: Fox News Digital, "Rogers fires back at Welker over El-Sayed's Muslim Brotherhood controversy, 'You are giving him a pass'" (Oct. 25, 2026): https://www.foxnews.com/media/rogers-fires-back-welker-over-el-sayeds-muslim-brotherhood-controversy-you-giving-him-pass ; NBC News, "Meet the Press" video, "Mike Rogers on Trump calling Abdul El-Sayed a terrorist: 'I've never called him a terrorist'" (Oct. 25, 2026): https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/video/mike-rogers-on-trump-calling-abdul-el-sayed-a-terrorist-i-ve-never-called-him-a-terrorist-272191045618 ; Associated Press, via NPR (Oct. 26, 2026): https://www.npr.org/2026/10/26/nx-s1-6016816/trump-escalates-anti-muslim-attacks
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