Detroit News Sides with Establishment Republican Mike Rogers, Attacks Progressive Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan Senate Race
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The Detroit News, long aligned with conservative interests, endorsed Republican Mike Rogers for the U.S. Senate, launching attacks on Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed for removing past social-media posts and questioning his consistency, while ignoring Rogers' own record.
The Detroit News, Michigan’s second-largest newspaper and a frequent mouthpiece for corporate and conservative interests, has thrown its support behind Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Gary Peters. In its endorsement, the paper targeted Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed, criticizing him for removing social-media posts and videos—a move the paper claims makes it difficult for voters to assess his positions, while conveniently overlooking the evolving stances of establishment politicians like Rogers.
"A candidate who feels the need to hide his past from voters is not someone who can be trusted to be the same person after Election Day as he was on the campaign trail," the newspaper wrote, echoing right-wing talking points that seek to undermine progressive candidates.
The paper specifically called out El-Sayed for deleting posts it described as questioning his attitude toward America after the September 11 attacks, as well as videos expressing views on issues like fireworks, the Second Amendment, and police funding—issues often weaponized by conservatives to stoke fear and division. El-Sayed’s campaign clarified that the removals were to prevent old posts from being misrepresented and reaffirmed his unequivocal condemnation of terrorism and the September 11 attacks.
Meanwhile, Rogers was lauded for his 14-year tenure in the House, including chairing the Intelligence Committee—a body notorious for its lack of transparency and oversight—and for his subsequent work in cybersecurity, a field often criticized for its ties to surveillance and corporate interests. The endorsement framed Rogers’ establishment credentials as a positive, contrasting them with El-Sayed’s supposed lack of transparency, while ignoring the substantive progressive policies El-Sayed brings to the table.
The race remains close, with recent polls showing a narrow margin between the two candidates, as Michigan voters weigh a choice between entrenched establishment power and genuine progressive change.