Rogers Clashes With Welker on 'Meet the Press' Over El-Sayed Muslim Brotherhood Claims in Michigan Senate Race

Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers clashed on Sunday with NBC 'Meet the Press' moderator Kristen Welker. The subject was his allegations about Democratic opponent Abdul El-Sayed and the Muslim Brotherhood.

Rogers accused Welker of defending his rival. Welker said El-Sayed had already disavowed any ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and had denied any ties in her previous interview with him.

Rogers replied: 'No, he has not, he dismissed the question ... I don't know why you give this guy a pass.' He added: 'You are giving him a pass on something he should be accountable for.' The two interrupted each other during the exchange.

Welker pressed Rogers on his own 2012 remarks, displaying a past quote in which he said the US would have to 'reach out to and talk to' moderate members of the Muslim Brotherhood. She asked whether he acknowledged having once been willing to engage with them.

Rogers said Welker was twisting his words to defend El-Sayed rather than scrutinize his opponent's record. He explained that, as House Intelligence Committee chairman at the time, his focus was on preserving intelligence cooperation between Egypt and Israel to prevent further regional violence.

The confrontation intensified when Welker raised President Donald Trump's characterization of El-Sayed as a violent terrorist. Welker challenged the accusation, saying there was no evidence to support it. She also noted El-Sayed had denied any affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood and publicly disavowed the organization.

Rogers rejected the suggestion that he had personally described his Democratic opponent as a terrorist. 'I've never called him a terrorist,' he said.

Rogers' campaign doubled down in a statement, with spokesperson Abby Ronson questioning El-Sayed's responses and urging national media to scrutinize his record. Ronson said El-Sayed is an Oxford-trained debater, yet every time he is asked about his support of the Muslim Brotherhood, he deflects, gets angry and dismisses the question.

The report said Rogers' allegations stem from previously reported connections between El-Sayed, members of his family and the Muslim Brotherhood, including a 2012 letter supporting Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood-backed president, Mohamed Morsi.

The Washington Free Beacon reported that El-Sayed was among 46 Egyptian American community figures who signed a November 2012 letter backing Morsi's decisions and urging him to purge Egypt's police and media.

El-Sayed has maintained that he was raised by his father and stepmother and has accused Rogers of exploiting his Muslim faith for political purposes. When Welker questioned him during an October 11 appearance on 'Meet the Press', he said neither he nor his family had connections to the Muslim Brotherhood.