Trump claims Rogers obliterated El-Sayed in Michigan debate

President Donald Trump declared on Friday that former Representative Mike Rogers completely obliterated his Democratic opponent, Abdul El-Sayed, in a Michigan U.S. Senate debate held the previous night. The president made the assertion in a Truth Social post published shortly after midnight, characterizing the exchange as a physical fight that would have been stopped had it been real combat.

In the post, Trump labeled El-Sayed a "Jihadist lunatic" who hates the country and specifically targets the Black population of Detroit. He further described El-Sayed as short on stature, patriotism, and truth, alleging that his statements were filled with lies and deceit. Trump contrasted this with Rogers, whom he called a "total winner" and the appropriate choice for voters. The president also cited his own victory in Michigan in 2024 to bolster his endorsement of the Republican candidate.

Rogers, who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from early 2001 until early 2015, has received Trump's endorsement for the Michigan Senate race. This support follows Trump's backing of Rogers in the 2024 election, where the Republican candidate lost to then-Democratic Representative Elissa Slotkin. The current contest pits Rogers against El-Sayed, whose full name is Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed.

On Wednesday, Trump issued another Truth Social post criticizing El-Sayed as a radical extremist and terrorist sympathizer. In that earlier statement, the president compared El-Sayed to Hasan Piker, describing both as America-hating figures. Trump argued that El-Sayed was a poor candidate for the Democratic Party while Rogers was an extremely good one.

El-Sayed responded to the attacks in a statement issued on Thursday. He noted that Trump knows his preferred name is Abdul and that he uses it frequently. El-Sayed stated that the attacks extend beyond him personally to target all members of his community. He accused Trump of using El-Sayed's name and faith to distract from policy impacts on consumers at gas pumps, grocery stores, and doctor's offices. The statement concluded with a call for change.

Fox News Digital reported that neither El-Sayed's campaign nor the White House immediately responded to requests for comment regarding the latest remarks.