Michigan's US Senate race took a controversial turn after Republican candidate Mike Rogers accused Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed of believing that America "deserved 9/11" following El-Sayed's victory in the Democratic primary.
Rogers released a statement congratulating El-Sayed on winning the Democratic nomination but sharply attacked his record.
"I spent years hunting terrorists and bringing Osama bin Laden to justice. Never in a million years did I think that I would be running against someone who believes America deserved 9/11," Rogers said in the statement.
The allegation quickly spread on social media, and several posts linked El-Sayed to the comment. However, available public evidence shows the remark was made by political streamer Hasan Piker, not El-Sayed.
What did Abdul El-Sayed actually say?
There is no public evidence that El-Sayed ever said America “deserved 9/11” or believes in the same.
{{/usCountry}}There is no public evidence that El-Sayed ever said America “deserved 9/11” or believes in the same.
{{/usCountry}}Instead, the claim appears to stem from comments made by Hasan Piker during a 2019 livestream. Piker said, "America deserved 9/11," which drew widespread backlash. He later acknowledged that his wording was offensive and walked back the statement, saying he intended to criticize US foreign policy and not justify the attacks.
The widespread allegations against El-Sayed stem from his campaign appearances with Piker, who is a progressive political commentator who endorsed his Senate bid. Conservatives, hence, argue that those appearances amount to an endorsement of Piker's past comments.
El-Sayed has not endorsed the "America deserved 9/11" statement. El-Sayed has consistently described the September 11 attacks differently.
El-Sayed's previous public statements through his Substack newsletter The Incision called the attacks "craven terrorist attacks" that killed nearly 3,000 Americans. He has also spoken about how 9/11 deeply affected him as a Muslim American.
The Arab American News reported that he wrote, “I watched terrorists with names like mine attack my country in the name of my faith. Three thousand of my fellow Americans were killed in the craven terrorist attacks in New York, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania. The attack devastated me.”
What have the conservatives said?
Self-proclaimed "proud Islamophobe" Laura Loomer wrote a string of disparaging remarks about El-Sayed.
She wrote, “The official Democrat Party account just openly endorsed an Islamic jihadist who signed a pledge in support of the Muslim Brotherhood, a designated foreign Islamic terrorist organization. Abdul El Sayed mourned the death of the Ayatollah. Democrats support Islamic terrorism.”
The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) swiftly released an anti-Islamic dog whistle attack advertisement against El-Sayed. They reiterated the 9/11 allegations and claimed he backs the Muslim Brotherhood leader.
One social media user reiterated the calls implying El-Sayed said these words, and wrote, “'America deserved 9/11' Abdul El-Sayed is too dangerous for Michigan!”
Another user wrote, “Abdul El-Sayed has been announced as the winner of the Michigan Democratic Senate race. He is a radical socialist who wants to abolish ICE, pass Medicare for All, impose a full military embargo on Israel, and campaigns with Hasan Piker, who said 'America deserves 9/11.' This country is in serious trouble if we allow people who hate America to win elections. People need to wake up to this clear and present danger.”
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El-Sayed called these attacks on him Islamophobic
Following his primary victory, El-Sayed accused Republicans of resorting to Islamophobic attacks instead of debating policy, TruthOut reported.
“They want to use my whole name against me,” El-Sayed said in his victory speech. He then challenged Rogers to pronounce his full name correctly.
Later, responding to questions about the attacks, El-Sayed said Republicans were attempting to divide voters.
“That's the only play they got,” he said. “They're going to point at me, they're going to point at my name.” He added that his name was not responsible for high grocery prices, inflation or wars, arguing that Michigan voters wanted leaders focused on real issues rather than identity politics.