GOP Senators Criticize El-Sayed's Potential Foreign Relations Committee Seat Over Past Muslim Brotherhood Comments

Republican members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee have voiced opposition to Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed potentially joining the committee, citing his past comments supporting Muslim Brotherhood protesters in Egypt. El-Sayed is reportedly seeking a seat on the influential committee should he be elected in November.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, a member of the committee, stated that individuals with El-Sayed's past associations should not be near the U.S. Senate, particularly the Foreign Relations Committee. "A man with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, who cheered their takeover of Egypt 15 years ago, and who campaigns with people saying America deserved 9/11, should not come anywhere near the U.S. Senate — and especially not the Foreign Relations Committee," Lee told Fox News Digital.

Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., also a committee member, echoed these concerns on social media. "El-Sayed says he’s running on affordability, so why does he want a seat on @SenateForeign?" McCormick posted. "I sit on that committee, and someone with El-Sayed's radical views has no business on it."

McCormick's comments followed a report by The Midwesterner, which included statements from Jordan Domingue, El-Sayed's former security chief during his 2018 gubernatorial campaign. Domingue expressed concern about El-Sayed's potential role on the committee, noting his lack of foreign policy experience. "It is extremely difficult to comprehend how dangerous this can be if he is elected," Domingue wrote on X. "It’s especially troubling knowing that despite no foreign policy experience, he REALLY wants a seat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee."

Concerns stem from a 2011 op-ed El-Sayed wrote for The Huffington Post while an assistant professor at Columbia University. In the piece, he urged the Obama administration to support protesters associated with Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, arguing it was in America's interest. He wrote, "If the U.S. truly wants to be the beacon of justice and liberty that it claims it does, it would behoove the Obama administration to fall decisively behind the protesters in Egypt."

At the time, El-Sayed argued that even if the Muslim Brotherhood overthrew Egypt's government, the resulting state would not necessarily resemble Iran. The Muslim Brotherhood-backed government came to power in Egypt in 2012 and was removed by the military in 2013.

During a recent town hall, El-Sayed, whose parents are Egyptian immigrants, stated that he disavows the Muslim Brotherhood. His campaign has not responded to requests for comment regarding his 2011 op-ed.

El-Sayed has primarily focused his Senate campaign on issues such as healthcare, reducing the cost of living, and lowering gas and grocery prices, as highlighted by McCormick. The candidate stated during his primary campaign, "It shouldn’t be this hard to get by in the richest, most powerful country in the world."