Michigan Senate Candidate Abdul El Sayed Clashes Over Muslim Brotherhood Questions

Democratic Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed grew agitated during media questioning on Wednesday over potential family connections to the Muslim Brotherhood. The New York Post and Fox News both reported that El-Sayed bristled during a network segment when asked whether he had lied about his family ties. The questioning followed an appearance on NBC's Meet the Press where El-Sayed denied any family link to the group. [1][2][13]

The scrutiny intensified after social media activity came to light. The New York Post and Fox News reported that his Republican opponent, Mike Rogers, cited 2012 posts by El-Sayed's half-sister, University of Chicago Professor Eman Abdelhadi. Fox News detailed that Abdelhadi's posts alleged their mother was an active member of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt during the 1970s. Following these reports, the Daily Signal noted that a Republican congresswoman called for El-Sayed to be disqualified from holding office if he is tied to the organization. [1][2][4]

The candidate has also faced direct political attacks. Al Jazeera and Ilke Haber Ajansi both reported that President Donald Trump accused El-Sayed of being a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. Al Jazeera noted that the United States designates the group as a terrorist organization, while El-Sayed continues to deny any ties to it. [3][8]

El-Sayed is an American epidemiologist and politician who is the Democratic nominee in the 2026 United States Senate election in Michigan. He previously served as the executive director of the Detroit Health Department from 2015 to 2017. The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in Egypt by Hassan al-Banna in 1928 as a transnational Sunni Islamist organization. [9][10][11]