Politics
El-Sayed, Rogers clash over Islam, Iran, and trade in Michigan Senate debate
October 9, 2026 at 02:57 AM
Coverage
3 reports · over 5 hours
TGThe Guardian
US midterms: key takeaways from Senate debates in Michigan, Georgia and Maine
(opens the publisher’s site)
AJAl Jazeera English
Key takeaways from US Senate debate in Michigan between El-Sayed, Rogers
(opens the publisher’s site)
CNCNN
‘Con man’ and ‘cowardly’: Personal insults fly in heated Michigan, Georgia Senate debates
(opens the publisher’s site)Michigan's candidates for US Senate faced off in their first televised debate, trading personal attacks over Islam, the Iran war, and Trump's trade policies.
- Rogers repeatedly dubbed El-Sayed a "con man" and accused him of being sympathetic to and funded by groups tied to Islamic terrorism.
- El-Sayed called the Iran war, which he said Rogers "cheer-led," the direct cause of high gasoline prices and inflation.
- Both candidates agreed the US-Israeli war against Iran should end, but differed over Washington's alliance with Israel.
- Rogers said he had called Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick this week about concluding a trade deal with Canada.