Republican Michigan Senate nominee Mike Rogers has repeatedly called on his Democratic opponent, Abdul El-Sayed, to condemn Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Rogers first raised the issue during a town hall event last month, where El-Sayed, when asked if he stood unequivocally against the IRGC, stated he would always "stand with movements for freedom and democracy." El-Sayed did not directly condemn the IRGC in his response.
Rogers subsequently highlighted El-Sayed's response on social media, stating, “Condemning terrorism should be easy. Apparently not for Abdul.” During their final debate, Rogers questioned El-Sayed’s loyalty to the U.S., asking, “If you are going to go to the United States Senate, we need to know: Are you for America or are you for these terrorist groups overseas?”
Critics have pushed back against Rogers' line of attack. Journalist Mehdi Hasan challenged Rogers on X, stating, “I dare you to condemn Jan 6th — described as terrorism by everyone from Trump’s FBI Director to Ted Cruz — right now. Go on.” Other users pointed out that El-Sayed had previously condemned the Muslim Brotherhood without hesitation, questioning the substance of Rogers' criticisms. One user noted, “Abdul has condemned Israel’s terrorism many times.”
Notes indicate that Rogers had not mentioned the IRGC on X prior to the town hall event. In the weeks following the town hall, Rogers has made multiple posts referring to El-Sayed’s response and even recruited the student who asked the question to appear in a campaign ad.