Detroit Newspaper Endorses Republican Rogers, Criticizes El-Sayed's Past Rhetoric
The Detroit News stated El-Sayed "has worked so hard covering his tracks" in the lead-up to the Senate race.
The Detroit News, a major newspaper in Michigan, has endorsed Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers in the state's U.S. Senate race, while sharply criticizing Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed's past statements and online activity.
In its endorsement of Rogers, the newspaper stated that El-Sayed "has worked so hard covering his tracks leading up to this Senate race that it's impossible to know who he really is or where he would stand in the Senate." The publication cited El-Sayed's removal or archiving of thousands of past social media posts and older podcast and YouTube videos as evidence of an attempt to obscure his history.
The Detroit News pointed to specific past comments attributed to El-Sayed, including questioning the tradition of fireworks on July 4th, suggesting the Second Amendment be replaced with a "right to have health care," and past support for the "defund the police" movement. The newspaper also referenced his past criticisms of football's association with toxic masculinity and "bro culture."
"A candidate who feels the need to hide his past from voters is not someone who can be trusted to be the same person after Election Day as he was on the campaign trail," the Detroit News argued.
El-Sayed's campaign has previously stated that some past comments were removed to prevent them from being taken out of context. The campaign also emphasized around the 25th anniversary of 9/11 that El-Sayed has "always unequivocally condemned terrorism and the September 11 attacks."
The race between El-Sayed and Rogers to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters is considered a key contest for Democrats seeking to regain the Senate majority.
The Detroit News praised Rogers, describing him as "the prototype of a United States Senator." The newspaper highlighted his 14 years in the House of Representatives, where he chaired the Intelligence Committee, and his subsequent career in private industry as a cybersecurity expert. Rogers was elected to his House seat seven times by his constituents before leaving Congress at the end of 2014.
Recent polling suggests a close race in Michigan, with an average of polls indicating a margin-of-error contest. A Fox News poll conducted a month prior to this report showed Rogers holding a slight four-point lead.