Abdul El-Sayed Refuses to Discuss Muslim Brotherhood Letter
Michigan Senate candidate interrupts Bret Baier when pressed on 2012 correspondence to extremist group leader.
Democrat Abdul El-Sayed repeatedly interrupted Fox News host Bret Baier on Friday when questioned about a 2012 letter he signed addressed to the leader of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood. El-Sayed appeared on Baier's program "Special Report" where the host attempted to ask about the correspondence.
When Baier began to ask about the letter, El-Sayed interjected, stating, “Bret, Bret… no, no, no… let me just stop there.” El-Sayed then preemptively stated, “You are asking this question to raise the question about whether or not I have dual loyalty.”
Baier responded, “I’m not, this is specific.” El-Sayed then stated, “My loyalty will be to the Constitution of the United States, and as every senator who’s ever served, I will swear an oath to that Constitution.” He again cut off Baier as the host tried to rephrase the question.
“I’m not interested in anything you’re going to pull out from a 2012 statement, a letter, you’re going to pull that out of context, you’re going to ask questions about my allegiance,” El-Sayed said. He advised Baier, “Don’t be Rogers’ campaign. Be a journalist.”
El-Sayed continued, “if you’re asking the question about my allegiance to the Constitution: I have never been a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. I never will be a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. I am interested in serving the United States. I’m interested in swearing an oath to the Constitution that every senator has sworn oath to.”
The 2012 letter, signed by El-Sayed and over 30 others, urged then-Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, a leader in the Muslim Brotherhood, to “purge” the media and police, according to the Washington Free Beacon. The letter was published on Egyptian news site Al-Ahram Gate. Morsi's government later initiated a crackdown on journalists in Egypt.
In a separate interview, Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers accused El-Sayed of not disavowing the Muslim Brotherhood and suggested El-Sayed has “adopted the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood.” Rogers stated, “It is not how he prays; it’s how he thinks.”
The Muslim Brotherhood is designated a terrorist organization by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, though not by the U.S. The group has been linked to radical offshoots like Hamas.
El-Sayed's parents were Egyptian immigrants, and his half-sister reportedly promoted family ties to the Brotherhood in resurfaced tweets from 2012. El-Sayed has accused Rogers of making his Muslim faith a campaign issue, which Rogers denies.