Michigan Democratic Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed has drawn sharp criticism from his Republican opponent, Mike Rogers, over past comments made on his podcast concerning the United States' response to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The remarks, made on a September 7, 2021, episode of his now-defunct podcast "America Dissected," resurfaced as the race for the Michigan Senate seat intensifies.
In the podcast episode, El-Sayed stated that while "9/11 scarred our country in profound ways, what we did after 9/11 scarred millions of other people." He further contended that the U.S. "wasted trillions of dollars to wage a war that we would ultimately lose" and condemned the post-attack era as one of "death, destruction and destitution."
Rogers, who previously chaired the House Intelligence Committee, called El-Sayed's perspective disqualifying for a U.S. Senate candidate. "Abdul El-Sayed’s attitude towards the worst tragedy in American history is disgusting and makes him completely unfit to serve in public office," Rogers stated. His campaign has reportedly shared testimonials from individuals involved in the Ground Zero recovery efforts in response to El-Sayed's comments.
El-Sayed's campaign defended his remarks, with spokesperson Cole Wozniak asserting that El-Sayed "has always unequivocally condemned terrorism and the September 11 attacks." Wozniak accused Rogers of making "bad-faith lies meant to mislead Michiganders" by misrepresenting El-Sayed's beliefs.
On September 11, 2021, El-Sayed also posted a since-deleted tweet that drew parallels between the initial attacks and subsequent U.S. actions. He wrote, "Today, I mourn the 3K lives, 6K injuries, & infrastructural devastation in NYC, perpetrated ignorantly in the name of my faith. Tomorrow, I’ll mourn ~1M lives, millions of injuries, & infrastructural devastation in 3 countries, perpetrated ignorantly in the name of my country."
El-Sayed, who would be the first Muslim elected to the Senate if he wins, explained on the podcast that he chose to stay at school on the day of the attacks in "solidarity." He recalled watching "men driven by hate attack my country in the name of my faith, claiming an act of violence in the name of a faith they didn’t understand, and by many accounts, didn’t even practice." He emphasized that the post-9/11 conversation in the United States tends to be U.S.-centered and that a more appropriate approach involves telling the "broader global story about the conduct of the United States and what followed."
The contest for the Michigan Senate seat is considered highly competitive, with El-Sayed holding a narrow lead over Rogers in recent polling aggregates.