Trump Claims Michigan Election Rigged; El-Sayed Faces Attacks

President Donald Trump claimed another election was rigged against a Republican candidate, pointing to former Rep. Mike Rogers' narrow loss in the 2024 Michigan Senate race.

Trump made the assertion in an interview with Jake Sherman of Punchbowl News. This comes as Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed faces scrutiny over past comments and associations. El-Sayed previously argued that toxic masculinity governs American football and that sports culture is rife with misogyny, racism, and homophobia. He also disavowed far-left streamer Hasan Piker's 9/11 remarks, calling them dumb, but decried cancel culture when confronted about his association with the internet personality.

Republican Mike Rogers' campaign has pointed to past comments made by a political commentator, falsely claiming El-Sayed believes that America deserved 9/11. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel called for El-Sayed to tone down his rhetoric amid a spate of antisemitic threats, stating he made Israel and AIPAC the central villain in his grievances. El-Sayed also promoted a book that denounces fetishizing distinctions between violence and nonviolence and praises George Floyd rioters for property destruction.

Vice President Vance called El-Sayed crazy after El-Sayed referred to Vance as "Peter Thiel's boy." El-Sayed's campaign has also been associated with discussions around "Medicare for All" requiring massive tax increases and comments about his name and Arab American sensitivities. Democratic strategist James Carville has backed El-Sayed against Rogers, calling Rogers a clown.