The Detroit News endorsed former Rep. Mike Rogers for Senate on Tuesday while criticizing Democrat Abdul El-Sayed for deleting past online content. El-Sayed’s extensive efforts to conceal his history before this Senate contest, as reported by the historic newspaper, make his true identity and potential Senate stance unknowable. This endorsement comes as the race to replace retiring Sen. Gary Peters becomes a key battle for control of the chamber.
Fox News reported that the newspaper observed El-Sayed deleted approximately 100 YouTube videos depicting him and his cultural perspectives negatively. Social media content questioning his stance on America following the 9/11 terrorist attacks was also deleted by him. The conservative-leaning publication contended that any candidate hiding their past from voters cannot be trusted to remain consistent after Election Day compared to their campaign persona.
The newspaper praised Rogers as the prototype of a United States Senator in its endorsement. Serving 14 years in the House of Representatives, he ascended to chair the vital Intelligence Committee prior to departing Congress at the end of 2014. Following this, Rogers pursued a prosperous career in private industry, establishing himself as a cybersecurity expert. Elected seven times by mid-Michigan constituents, the 63-year-old Republican secured his House seat repeatedly.
El-Sayed justified his actions by explaining that certain past comments were deleted to avoid old posts being misinterpreted out of context. Last week, his campaign stressed that Abdul has consistently and unequivocally denounced terrorism and the September 11 attacks. At the time this story was published, the El-Sayed campaign offered no response to inquiries regarding the Detroit News’ criticisms.
Past comments from El-Sayed include floating the idea of abandoning fireworks on July 4th and suggesting replacing the nation’s Second Amendment with the right to have health care. He previously backed the defund the police movement while criticizing football for its connections to toxic masculinity and a bro culture. Throughout the campaign, Rogers and fellow Republicans have condemned El-Sayed for numerous controversial remarks.
The Washington Examiner recently covered a separate issue involving the New York Times regarding an editing error about the October 7 attacks. Columnist Joe Concha slammed the paper for stating that Israelis view themselves as Oct. 7 victims, calling it 31 flavors of delusion. The New York Times later posted on X that they removed the sentence because of an editing error. This separate controversy highlights the intense scrutiny facing media outlets during this election cycle.
Michigan voters now face a choice between a former congressman with a long public record and a candidate whose past has been scrubbed from the internet. The Detroit News made its position clear that hiding one’s history is a disqualifying trait for a future Senator. Latest polls averaged in the El-Sayed-Rogers showdown show a margin that continues to be tight.
