GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — The first debate in Michigan’s closely watched U.S. Senate race turned combative Thursday as Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed repeatedly traded personal attacks, talked over each other and even continued to argue during a commercial break.
The contentious hourlong grudge fight follows weeks of fighting online and in ads between the two candidates that have flooded the state in the highly competitive campaign for an open Senate seat.
“I’d like to get in on the debate, too,” moderator Rick Albin said during the feud. “In 30 years of debate,” he later added, “I’ve never seen this continue during advertising. But it does.”
Rogers is a former congressman who ran uncontested in the August 4 Republican primary. He lost a previous Senate race to then-U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin by just under 20,000 votes two years ago. El-Sayed is a progressive and former public health official who defeated U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens in the Democratic primary this year by less than a percentage point.
The seat is open because Democratic Sen. Gary Peters is retiring. Both parties view the race as crucial in deciding which party will win control of the Senate in November.
Rogers continues to distance himself from some of Trump’s policies
Rogers has broken with Trump on two major issues in recent weeks. In September, Rogers said the war with Iran must “end quickly.” On Wednesday, he released an ad criticizing Trump’s tariffs on Canada, saying “we know Canada is not our enemy” and “we must end this tariff war now.”
As the debate began, Rogers doubled down on both. Regarding the war, Rogers said: “I believe it will end. We need it to end.”
LEARN MORE: Rogers and El-Sayed set for first debate in Michigan Senate race after online argument
Later, Rogers said he called the White House this week to push for a “deal” with Canada to end the trade conflict.
“Initially we were told the Canadian tariff was going to be resolved quickly,” Rogers told reporters after the debate. “That didn’t happen. My point is, and I’ve made this to the administration, it’s time to call it a day.”
Rogers also criticized the actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement earlier this year, saying “the efforts in Minnesota were probably not appropriate.”
“To me, it was something they could have done differently,” Rogers said.
Trump had sent immigration agents to the state, sparking outrage when two protesters were shot and killed.
El-Sayed opposes his decision not to send funds to Israel
El-Sayed worked during the debate not only to attack Rogers, but also to appeal to Democrats who might still consider voting after a contentious primary split the party’s coalition. Some members of the Jewish community have expressed concern over El-Sayed’s past comments regarding Israel.
El-Sayed was asked during the debate whether he would support sending weapons to Israel if it were attacked by another country. He responded that he didn’t want our tax dollars used to subsidize war overseas.
WATCH: Harris joins El-Sayed on the campaign trail as Democrats focus on Michigan Senate race
When later asked whether Iran or Israel posed a more dangerous threat, he called the question “ridiculous” and “both have proven dangerous in their own way.”
After the debate, El-Sayed was asked why he wanted Rogers to answer for his association with Trump while ignoring questions about his association with Hasan Piker, an online commentator with a history of controversial remarks.
LEARN MORE: How Abdul El-Sayed went from political oblivion to progressive breakthrough in Michigan
“Is this a serious question?” El-Sayed retorted. “Equating the most powerful person in the world to a California streamer seems just — I’m not going to use that word — but silly to me.”
Prominent Democrats have tried to help El-Sayed bring Democrats together in recent weeks. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appeared with him for the first time Thursday since supporting Stevens in the primary.
Trump attacks El-Sayed on Truth Social the day before the debate
Trump attacked El-Sayed in a social media post Wednesday evening, calling him “Muhammad” and saying he “goes back to the days of Jihad.”
“He is a RADICAL extremist and sympathizer of terrorism,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
El-Sayed, born in the United States to Egyptian immigrant parents, responded by pointing out that the president knows his name: “He says it every day.”
“He’s not just attacking me. He’s attacking all of us,” El-Sayed wrote. “He thinks he can use my name and my faith to distract us from the suffering his policies are inflicting on us.”
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