During a recent campaign stop near Detroit, Texas GOP Senator Ted Cruz leveled harsh rhetoric against Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, labeling him a “jihadist leprechaun.” Cruz’s comments serve as part of an aggressive closing strategy for the Michigan Republican ticket, which has heavily focused on allegations linking the Democratic hopeful to the Muslim Brotherhood. According to at a town hall earlier this month, El-Sayed, He “absolutely” disavows the Muslim Brotherhood. Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan — At a campaign event outside of Detroit, GOP Sen. He wants to represent Palestine, I want to represent Michigan.
Cruz argued that if El-Sayed were to win, his potential placement on the Senate Intelligence Committee could present a national security threat. “If I am correct that he is a passionate supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood, there is a very real risk that Americans will die as a result,” Cruz stated, noting that a U.S. Senator would gain access to top-level security clearances.
El-Sayed has consistently refuted these characterizations. In a recent interview with Fox News, the candidate stated clearly, “I have never been a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, I never will be a member of the Muslim Brotherhood.” His campaign has dismissed the attacks as a bigoted, anti-Muslim smear campaign designed to distract voters from pressing economic concerns, such as the rising costs of fuel and groceries. Battleground Tracker rates the race as a toss up.
Campaign spokesperson Cole Wozniak criticized Cruz as a deeply unpopular figure, arguing that these incendiary remarks are a transparent attempt to shield voters from the failed policies of the Trump administration. El-Sayed himself has urged the public to judge him by his personal record and commitment to the U.S. Constitution, noting that his religious practice is separate from his policy positions. Groceries, and everything else has skyrocketed due to the failed policies of the Trump administration,” Wozniak added, his dangerous comments are just the latest example of Mike Rogers and his MAGA allies attempting to distract voters from the fact that the price of gas.
The controversy stems partly from past social media posts by El-Sayed’s half-sister, Fatten Elkomy, which referenced their birthmother’s involvement with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt during the 1970s. El-Sayed, who was raised in the United States by his stepmother, has clarified that he has not discussed his birthmother’s past with her and emphasized that his own actions define his candidacy. According to the GOP claims mainly arose after posts from El-Sayed’s half-sister, Fatten Elkomy, in 2012 and 2013, where she, Their birthmother had been active in the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt during the early 1970s when she wa. According to el-Sayed, who was born in the U.S., has, His parents divorced when he was 3 years old, and he was brought up by his stepmother. My mom and my sister are not running for office. According to judge me by my actions and my work, but please do not assume that because I might pray differently than anybody who’s ever held this office, that somehow I am not deeply committed to this Constitution,” El-Sayed, In Marquette, Michigan, on Oct. I’m not talking about how he prays. How many people on September 11, 2001, could have possibly imagined that Zohran Mamdani would be the mayor of New York City. According to when you can’t tell the truth about things that matter on life and death, I just don’t think you have any business being in the United, Senate, and people need to know that,” Rogers said.
Cruz’s accusations also cited El-Sayed’s past leadership in the Muslim Students’ Association at the University of Michigan and a 2011 op-ed in which he expressed support for protests against the Mubarak regime in Egypt. These activities, according to Cruz, demonstrate an ideological alignment with groups the U.S. government has faced complex diplomatic challenges with, even if those actions occurred years ago. On Wednesday, Cruz also pointed to El-Sayed’s role as president with the Muslim Students’ Association chapter at the University of Michigan, and a 2011 op-ed he wrote supporting protests against Egyptian dictator Mubarak, who then-President Barack Obama called on to step down during the Arab Spring protests. Cruz and Rogers also noted an open letter El-Sayed signed when he was a medical student in 2012 in support of then-Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, Egypt’s first democratically elected leader who represented the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, and Morsi’s “purge” of supporters of the Mubarak dictatorship within the media and police. According to as a congressman in 2012, Rogers, “there are moderate Muslim Brotherhood members the U.S will have to talk to” but added “we are going to have to watch it carefully. According to asked about it by NBC last Sunday, Rogers, He wanted to try and maintain U.S. relationships with intelligence services in Egypt “that the Muslim Brotherhood was trying to undo. Given that Qatar provides financial and political support to the Muslim Brotherhood, Rogers deflected and voiced concern about Qatari funding in U.S. colleges, asked Tuesday night by reporters if he has concerns about the Qatari-gifted Air Force One. Progressive Rep, cruz also claimed that if El-Sayed wins.
Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers, who is currently locked in a competitive race against El-Sayed, has also centered his campaign on these claims. Rogers has characterized the race as the most critical in the nation, warning against what he calls “socialism married with that Muslim Brotherhood ideology.” He has maintained that El-Sayed’s refusal to address these perceived ties makes him unfit for the Senate.
The discourse surrounding the Muslim Brotherhood has become a volatile feature of the campaign. While the Trump administration designated certain branches of the organization as a terrorist group in January, historical U.S. policy involved engaging with the Egyptian government under then-President Mohamed Morsi, whom the Brotherhood supported. Rogers himself previously supported funding for Egypt during the Morsi era as a member of Congress. The Obama administration had engaged with the Morsi government until the Egyptian military removed him from power in July 2013.
The political stakes in Michigan remain high for both parties. Despite the state previously voting for Donald Trump in 2016 and 2024, it also elected Democrat Elissa Slotkin to the Senate in 2024. Observers view the current environment as a test of the influence of these high-intensity messaging tactics on the electorate.
When questioned about whether he believes El-Sayed holds “dual loyalties,” Cruz stopped short of a direct confirmation but reiterated his belief that the candidate’s “demonstrated loyalties” are with the Muslim Brotherhood. He insisted his focus remains on ideology and support for an organization that is banned in nations like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
President Trump has also joined the fray, publicly referring to El-Sayed as a “jihadist Muslim Brotherhood member” in recent days. Meanwhile, the Rogers campaign has defended its focus on the candidate’s family history, arguing that the group’s ideologies stand in direct opposition to American values.
As Election Day approaches, the intense rhetoric from national GOP figures underscores a broader national divide. Cruz also predicted that an El-Sayed victory could embolden progressives, specifically suggesting it might elevate Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028, warning voters to consider the implications of the political direction the country is taking. A top El-Sayed supporter, would be the Democratic nominee for president in 2028. “For those who think, ‘Well, good, if they nominate AOC, that means Republicans win in 28, alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. We’re a divided country, i just want to warn you.
