Abdul El-Sayed Pushes Back as Bret Baier Presses Him on Muslim Brotherhood Claims

Abdul El-Sayed clashed with Fox News anchor Bret Baier during a Friday interview about allegations that the Michigan Senate candidate has links to the Muslim Brotherhood. El-Sayed, a Democrat running against Republican Mike Rogers, objected when Baier raised claims that have been used to question his loyalties because he is Muslim. Baier began to ask about a 2012 open letter El-Sayed signed concerning Egypt’s then-president Mohamed Morsi, a Muslim Brotherhood leader. Before the anchor could finish, El-Sayed interrupted and said the line of questioning was designed to cast doubt on whether he had “dual loyalty.” He insisted that his allegiance would be to the U.S. Constitution and that, if elected, he would take the same oath as other senators. The exchange grew sharper as Baier continued to press him. El-Sayed told the host not to take his remarks out of context and urged him not to act as an extension of Rogers’ campaign. He then said he had never been a member of the Muslim Brotherhood and never would be, adding that the issue of his faith should not be used against him. He described the effort to make religion a campaign issue as beneath Rogers and the president, and said the Constitution protects the right to worship freely. The article says El-Sayed has repeatedly denied any connection to the organization. Recent reporting cited in the piece found no evidence of an affiliation. The claims have also drawn on social media posts by his estranged half-sister, Eman Abdelhadi, who alleged that members of their family had been involved with the group and that their mother was active in the 1970s. El-Sayed’s parents separated when he was three, and the article says he did not grow up with his mother or half-sister. The interview followed other public challenges over the allegations, including a viral exchange with a young man later identified as Thomas Teepell, a former Republican staffer. El-Sayed has also disputed Rogers’ claims that he has not rejected the Muslim Brotherhood. He won the Democratic primary for the seat held by retiring Senator Gary Peters.