DETROIT — Republican Mike Rogers agreed with a social media post calling his Democratic opponent, Abdul El-Sayed, a terrorist on Saturday, Oct. 10, as the rhetoric in the high-profile U.S. Senate race turned sharply more negative with three weeks remaining before Election Day The comment arose from a video of El-Sayed, a former public health official and University of Michigan graduate, ...

Mike Rogers, Republican senate nominee, and other Republicans gather for a unity event at Andiamo restaurant in Warren, Mich., on Aug. 5, 2026.

Daniel Mears/The Detroit News/TNS

DETROIT — Republican Mike Rogers agreed with a social media post calling his Democratic opponent, Abdul El-Sayed, a terrorist on Saturday, Oct. 10, as the rhetoric in the high-profile U.S. Senate race turned sharply more negative with three weeks remaining before Election Day

The comment arose from a video of El-Sayed, a former public health official and University of Michigan graduate, laughing as he said, "Is Michigan going to win a game without cheating? I say this as a Wolverine."

Dave Portnoy, the founder of Barstool Sports and a prominent UM fan, jokingly wrote over the video that El-Sayed "really is a terrorist."

Rogers, a former seven-term congressman from White Lake Township, reposted Portnoy's commentary and said Portnoy "is exactly right." Rogers' post was reshared by the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Asked if Rogers really believes El-Sayed is a terrorist, Rogers spokeswoman Alyssa Brouillet said in a statement: "Parroting Ohio State talking points is a bridge too far."

A day earlier, U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., was in Michigan campaigning for Rogers. In response to a question about the American Israel Public Affairs Committee aiding Rogers, Kennedy said, "AIPAC wouldn't … come here if Dr. El-Sayed didn't sleep in a Bin Laden jersey," an apparent reference to Osama Bin Laden, whom the FBI described as a violent terrorist and a mass murderer.

El-Sayed responded to Kennedy on Saturday by making a reference to the Ku Klux Klan.

"That’s rich coming from someone who wears his bed sheets out at night," El-Sayed posted.

The sports-related weekend comments from Portnoy and Rogers followed a series of heated moments in the candidates' televised Thursday debate.

El-Sayed, of Ann Arbor, accused Rogers of endorsing a surveillance state during his time chairing the House Intelligence panel, to which Rogers said his opponent "just doesn't understand the national security infrastructure, so he's trying to jumble it all up on people."

"Those programs were really, really important in catching people who were suspected of terrorists and being terrorists, committing a terrorist act," Rogers said. "And why would that bother you? Well, if you have someone in your family that might be on the watch list ―"

"Are you calling ― are you going to go ahead and say that I'm a ...? Go ahead and say it," El-Sayed interjected, attempting to goad Rogers into calling him a terrorist.

"Did you not have family on ... ?" Rogers said amid crosstalk.

"Say it. Say it," El-Sayed urged.

"No, I haven't been —" Rogers said.

"Do you know why? Because of your policies," El-Sayed said.

"That's so wrong," Rogers said.

The back-and-forth spilled over into the world of sports after El-Sayed's University of Michigan football comments. The team has been scandal-plagued on and off the field in recent seasons.

The university was fined more than $30 million by the National Collegiate Athletic Association in 2025 after an investigation into illegal scouting and sign-stealing. The investigation implicated former head coaches Jim Harbaugh and Sherrone Moore, and it centered around Connor Stalions, a former defensive analyst.

Stalions, now infamous in the sports world, wore a disguise and stood on Central Michigan University’s sideline for the school's season-opening game against Michigan State in 2023. The staffer was there as part of an effort to decode MSU's signals for future preparation, the NCAA later confirmed.

UM went on to beat MSU by a score of 49-0 later that year en route to an undefeated season and National Championship win.

The Wolverines also notched a highly controversial victory in their recent season opener against Western Michigan University. Officials awarded an extra offensive play after time expired with UM trailing 12-7. The team scored a touchdown on the play via an improbable hail-mary pass to win 13-12.

El-Sayed and Rogers, in addition to the "terrorist" rhetoric, have sparred over their UM ties.

The Democratic candidate, who attended the university for his undergraduate education, suggested Rogers was a fake Wolverine during their televised debate on Thursday.

"I don't just parade around in the block M," he said, a reference to Rogers wearing block UM gear in his campaign ads despite the fact that he graduated from Adrian College.

Rogers commuted to UM from Adrian to participate in the university's Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) training program.

El-Sayed's campaign didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about Rogers' Saturday post.