Abdul El-Sayed Denies Muslim Brotherhood Ties Amid Debate Challenge
Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed denied allegations that he or his family have ties to the Muslim Brotherhood during a televised debate in Caro, Michigan, and Republican opponent Mike Rogers referenced a 2012 letter to Egypt’s president as evidence. Earlier in the campaign, El-Sayed confronted a GOP activist, emphasizing that the Constitution, not his faith, should be the focus, and he challenged Islamophobic questioning at a town-hall that went viral. He also faced criticism after President Donald Trump labeled him a “jihadist,” prompting backlash from Arab and Muslim leaders.
A filing showed a $250,000 influencer campaign funded by the nonprofit America Next and run by the son of Republican strategist Timmy Teepell aimed at opposing El-Sayed. The controversy began when former Josh Hawley aide Thomas Teepell was identified as the heckler who shouted at El-Sayed at a town-hall demanding a disavowal of the Muslim Brotherhood.