El-Sayed calls Rogers a ‘coward’ for skipping Michigan debate
Republican Senate candidate declined Detroit debate, alleging moderator bias and leaving empty podium
DETROIT (MNTV) — Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed sharply criticized his Republican opponent, Mike Rogers, after Rogers declined to take part in a televised Detroit debate, leaving an empty podium and denying voters a direct exchange.
El-Sayed mocked Rogers’s absence after Tuesday’s Fox 2 debate — “The elephant was not in the room” — and accused him of preferring a brief speech at a Republican convention in Dallas to an hour with Michigan voters.
“It’s wild to me that this guy is more interested in going to speak for… six minutes and 48 seconds in Dallas than he is to have 60 minutes with Michiganders here in Detroit,” he said, calling Rogers a “coward.”
Rogers’s campaign said it skipped the debate because moderator Roop Raj had shown favoritism, citing past comments praising El-Sayed; Raj rejected the claim on air, saying the station does not take sides. Fox 2 said it had invited both candidates weeks earlier and El-Sayed had agreed.
El-Sayed used the debate to focus on the economic pressures facing Michigan families. “Folks want to make this campaign about all different kinds of things that are a distraction,” he said.
“The question ultimately is: Can you afford your life?” The candidates have agreed to debates hosted by WOOD-TV and WXYZ-TV in October, giving voters further chances to hear them directly.
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