Tucker Carlson, a former conservative pundit, has signaled support for Michigan Senate hopeful Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, defending his past statements regarding the 9/11 attacks and criticizing El-Sayed's Republican opponent, Mike Rogers.
In his newsletter, Carlson argued that El-Sayed's comments about the U.S. response to 9/11 were "obviously right." El-Sayed previously stated that while 9/11 deeply scarred the U.S., the subsequent actions "scarred millions of other people" in other countries. On the 20th anniversary of the attacks, he wrote about mourning the lives lost in New York and "tomorrow, I'll mourn ~1M lives...in 3 countries, perpetrated ignorantly in the name of my country."
Rogers had called El-Sayed's remarks "disqualifying" and stated that his attitude toward the tragedy made him "completely unfit to serve in public office." Carlson countered by questioning Rogers's stance, asking if understanding that the Bush administration's actions in Iraq were wrong, despite Iraq's non-involvement in 9/11, is "disgusting."
Carlson also criticized Rogers's national security record, urging Michigan voters to keep him "far away from Washington." The former Fox News host suggested that if any candidate is unfit for office, it is Rogers.
El-Sayed has also faced scrutiny for his past embrace of Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, who made controversial statements about 9/11. Rogers' campaign declined to comment on Carlson's remarks.