Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers has accused his Democratic opponent, Abdul El-Sayed, of being "anti-American" due to past rhetoric concerning the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Rogers stated that El-Sayed has "long separated himself from Team America" with "divisive" and "angry" statements.

Rogers' remarks came as he prepared to address the Republican Party's midterm convention. He suggested El-Sayed would need a "full about-face" for him to be taken seriously, emphasizing a choice between supporting the United States and an ideology he believes has caused harm.

El-Sayed has faced renewed scrutiny for comments made in a September 2021 podcast episode, "America Dissected," where he said that while "9/11 scarred our country in profound ways, what we did after 9/11 scarred millions of other people." He added that discussions of 9/11 often fail to center those affected globally. On the 20th anniversary of the attacks, El-Sayed posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he mourned the lives lost in New York and would subsequently mourn "~1M lives, millions of injuries, & infrastructural devastation in 3 countries, perpetrated ignorantly in the name of my country."

In response, El-Sayed's communications director, Roxie Richner, criticized Rogers, stating, "What is deeply anti-American is voting against healthcare funding for 9/11 first responders—which Mike Rogers did twice while in Congress." Richner alleged that Rogers told a 9/11 first responder that his healthcare was a "New York problem" and accused Rogers of using "bad-faith lies" to distract from his record.

Rogers, during his time in the House of Representatives, had objected in 2010 to the mandatory funding of the World Trade Center Health Program. He instead advocated for a $150 million appropriation for 9/11 first responders with health complications.

Republicans have also highlighted El-Sayed's past campaigning with streamer Hasan Piker, who reportedly said in 2019 that America "deserved" 9/11, a remark he later attempted to retract. Rogers referenced this association in his convention speech, stating, "Abdul El Sayed has chosen Hasan as his running mate. Together, they attack America. They excuse extremism. They treat our country like it’s the villain."

Rogers concluded his remarks by differentiating himself from El-Sayed, stating, "He’s a con man. I’m a lawman. He wants to represent Palestine. I want to represent Michigan."