Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed traded sharp attacks in the final Michigan Senate debate, with both seeking to define their opponent as unfit for office in a race that could help decide control of the US Senate.
El-Sayed repeatedly portrayed Mr Rogers as a “sock puppet” for Donald Trump, blaming the president’s policies for rising household costs. Mr Rogers accused his rival of concealing his political positions and trying to distance himself from views he once held.
The contest is being closely watched nationally, as Democrats seek to benefit from opposition to Mr Trump and frustration over inflation and the Iran war. Republicans, meanwhile, have focused on divisions among Democrats over Middle East policy and Medicare for All.
Calling Mr Rogers’s platform a “MAGA vision”, El-Sayed said the Republican stood “hip-to-hip with Donald Trump on all of his worst policies, the policies that are raising the price of your gas, making it impossible to afford your groceries”.
He invited viewers to play “MAGA bingo” during the debate and later said: “He’s going to bend to Donald Trump because he is a sock puppet for the man.”
Mr Rogers responded: “He wants to make this about Donald Trump. The bingo game ought to be: ‘How many times can he put Trump in any answer?’”
Asked after the debate whether he planned to attend Mr Trump’s rally in Michigan on Sunday, Mr Rogers said he would go but did not yet know the final details.
Michigan Senate debate turns to national security
One of the most contentious exchanges centred on allegations linking El-Sayed to the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist group and political movement founded in Egypt.
Mr Rogers suggested El-Sayed had supporters in common with terrorist groups including Hamas, and questioned whether the Democrat could obtain a security clearance if elected. He said El-Sayed was attempting to portray himself as “a victim”.
El-Sayed has rejected any connection to the organisation and called the allegations “shameful”. He said the claims were based on the actions of his mother, whom he described as a nurse in Missouri, and added that he was not raised by his birth mother after his parents divorced when he was young.
“You can grin and you can smile and you can talk real pretty, but I’m going to tell you what, that is a risk to our national security,” Mr Rogers said.
El-Sayed replied: “He keeps raising this question about this association with an organization I’ve never been a part of, because [of] my mom, who’s a nurse in Missouri? It doesn’t make any sense, and it’s actually really quite beneath you, Mike.”
The exchange was less disruptive than the candidates’ first debate earlier this month, which was marked by frequent interruptions and insults, but tensions remained high throughout.
Iran war and healthcare policies dominate debate
El-Sayed attacked Mr Rogers over the Iran war, arguing that the conflict had contributed to higher prices and accusing the Republican of having “a war for everything”.
“We need a War Powers Resolution, rather than a senator who is going to stand hip-to-hip with Donald Trump on this war that made no sense when it started and certainly makes no sense now,” he said.
Mr Rogers has called for the war to end, but warned that petrol prices could rise further if Iran were allowed to control the Strait of Hormuz or develop a nuclear weapon.
Asked whether Iran represented a significant threat to US national security, El-Sayed said there was “no doubt that Iran has posed a threat”, but argued that it had been contained by the Obama-era agreement limiting the country’s nuclear programme. Mr Trump ended that agreement during his first term.
Mr Rogers said Iran was “absolutely” a threat and described El-Sayed’s earlier responses on the issue as “an absolute nonstarter” for anyone seeking a seat in the Senate.
The Republican also attacked El-Sayed’s support for Medicare for All, arguing that the single-payer healthcare plan would require major tax increases. “Money in your pocket? You’ll be lucky to have a damn pair of pants when you’re done,” Mr Rogers said.
El-Sayed countered that large corporations were responsible for taking money from voters and said a Medicare for All system would cost less than the current healthcare system if introduced. He also said the proposal had bipartisan support.
On tariffs, El-Sayed criticised Mr Trump’s trade measures but said he was open to some import duties. Mr Rogers described the tariffs as a “mixed bag”, questioning the trade war with Canada while arguing that the reshoring of manufacturing was under way.
