Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) and Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed (D) have escalated their war of words after Moreno appeared in a campaign video endorsing El-Sayed's Republican challenger, Rep. Mike Rogers. The exchange, which unfolded on social media over Monday and Tuesday, underscores the heated nature of the Michigan Senate race.
In a video posted to X on Monday, Moreno urged Michigan voters to back Rogers, framing the election as a choice between prioritizing Michigan and America or focusing on foreign concerns. "Look, Michigan, if you want a senator that wakes up every day caring about you, your family, your economic well-being, that is 100 percent focused on the state of Michigan, not on Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood and all those other things that are on the other side of the globe, this guy, Mike Rogers is going to care about you and your family," Moreno said. He added, "This is what this election is about: America and Michigan first, or everybody else first."
El-Sayed, a physician and former Detroit health director, fired back on Monday with a post that played on Moreno's background in the auto industry. "Used car salesman sells used car," El-Sayed wrote, implying that Rogers was the "used car" being peddled by Moreno, who previously owned car dealerships in Ohio.
Moreno did not let the remark slide. On Tuesday, he responded with a post that pivoted to policy differences and personal attacks. "Yeah, I sold cars," Moreno wrote. "You sell open borders, higher taxes, government run healthcare, antisemitism, sharia law, and policies that ship auto jobs to China. One of us understands the American Dream. The other wants to kill it. That's why [Rogers] is going to kick your ass."
El-Sayed, who would be the first Muslim senator if elected, has faced a barrage of attacks tying him to the Muslim Brotherhood and labeling him a "jihadist." These attacks have been amplified by some Republicans, including former President Trump, who has targeted El-Sayed with Islamophobic rhetoric that some analysts say could backfire in a state with a significant Muslim American population.
The senator's reference to "sharia law" and "antisemitism" appears to be part of a broader GOP strategy to paint El-Sayed as extreme on issues related to Israel and the Middle East. El-Sayed has been critical of U.S. aid to Israel, a stance that has divided Democrats amid the ongoing war in Gaza. While some progressives have accused Israel of genocide, many Republicans have sought to label such criticism as antisemitic.
Moreno's endorsement of Rogers comes as the Michigan race tightens, with Rogers trying to navigate the MAGA label while courting both Trump supporters and moderate voters. The race has drawn national attention, with high-profile surrogates like JD Vance rallying for Rogers and former President Obama campaigning for El-Sayed.
El-Sayed's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Moreno's latest post.
