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October 25 2026
Key Developments and What We're Discussing Today:
- Michigan Senate candidate Dr. Abdul El-Sayed has clearly and on more than one occasion disavowed the Muslim Brotherhood. El-Sayed's Republican opponent, Mike Rogers, has never disavowed Christian nationalism. He has never disavowed the political movement that empowers Christian nationalism, the MAGA movement.
- A Republican Senate win in Michigan will have real, tangible negative effects on the safety of not only the Jewish American community, but all Americans. An El-Sayed victory will be a step in the right direction toward combating abuses of the Trump presidency. It will have a negligible impact, if any impact, on the U.S.-Israel relationship.
- El-Sayed has never said anything antisemitic. Donald Trump has a long record of antisemitism. Mike Rogers has never condemned Trump for any of his antisemitism, including the latest example from last week, when Trump again used the antisemitic Shylock slur.
- Rogers and his Republican friends failed to condemn Trump for his unprecedented interference in Israel's upcoming election.
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Friends,
Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers is wrong. Dr. Abdul El-Sayed has clearly and on more than one occasion disavowed the Muslim Brotherhood. PolitiFact has everything you need to know about El-Sayed's ties, or more accurately, the lack thereof, to the Muslim Brotherhood.
Watch the full exchange between El-Sayed and 25-year-old Tommy Teepell, a former staffer for Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO). What part of "sure, yeah, absolutely" does Rogers not understand? If you don't think El-Sayed clearly disavowed it, watch this.
Maybe the media should start asking Rogers to disavow what he told Reuters in 2012: “Do I think there are moderate Muslim Brotherhood individuals we are going to have to reach out to and talk to? Yes." Or his vote to continue U.S. military aid to Egypt while it was controlled by the Muslim Brotherhood under Morsi.
As Tom Malinowski reminds us, "Morsi led the democratically elected government that replaced Egypt’s military dictatorship. Every Egyptian, including many who strongly disliked him, wanted him to reform the brutal secret police. And Rogers himself said he was fine with working with Morsi at the time."
Still worried about this Muslim Brotherhood issue? Give Charles Blow 60 seconds of your time.
Rogers has never disavowed Christian nationalism or his Christian nationalist donors. He has never disavowed the political movement that empowers Christian nationalism, the MAGA movement.
None of this bothers the Jews Democrats Republicans who support Rogers.
Some voters in Michigan might not like their choices, but they have a clear choice. El-Sayed again questioned our alliance with Israel. Although some of the points he makes are valid, I disagree with his conclusion that Israel should not be considered an ally of the United States. There are many reasons to vote for him. This is not one of them.
El-Sayed is great on nearly every issue except on some related to Israel. At the other extreme, Rogers will not question any actions taken by the current Israeli government and has not criticized the Republican Party's abandonment of its commitment to a two-state solution. That is not what I would call pro-Israel. Rogers is pro-Netanyahu and pro-Trump. He is terrible on almost all the issues that we care about.
If El-Sayed wins, then the United States Senate will include a grand total of one senator, one out of 100, who questions the U.S.-Israel alliance at its most fundamental level.
If Rogers wins, Republicans might maintain control of the Senate, which means that it will confirm all of Trump's judicial nominations, including potential Supreme Court nominations. If Rogers wins, at least one chamber of Congress will continue to abdicate its constitutional responsibilities to serve as a check on the executive branch.
A Rogers victory will have real, tangible negative effects on the safety of not only the Jewish American community, but all Americans. An El-Sayed victory will be a step in the right direction toward combating abuses of the Trump presidency. It will have a negligible impact, if any impact, on the U.S.-Israel relationship.
Don't let your friends fall for the list of "nonnegotiable" demands that Zioness is pushing. This is the same approach we rightfully criticized when those in Michigan who disagreed with Kamala Harris on Gaza decided to sit out the election because their "nonnegotiable" demands were not met. If you are asked about the latest "nonnegotiables," respond with this analysis from David Schraub.
Urge your friends in Michigan to think rationally and not sit this election out or vote for Rogers based on fear-mongering about what this election means for Israel. The Michigan Senate election means virtually nothing for U.S.-Israel relations. It could mean everything for the future of our country.
More antisemitic and anti-Israel rhetoric from Donald Trump. El-Sayed has never said anything antisemitic. Donald Trump has a long record of antisemitism. Mike Rogers has never condemned Trump for any of his antisemitism, including the latest example from last week, when Trump again used the antisemitic Shylock slur.
Compare the ADL's response to Nexus's response. Can you spot the difference?
Trump is the leader of the Republican Party. No one has a louder voice or a bigger platform, not even random streamers who most of us never heard of until a few months ago. Every Republican should be condemning Donald Trump for his antisemitism. Not one Republican in Congress or running for Congress has done so. Maybe because his name is not El-Sayed.
Antisemitism has a home in the Republican Party, and no amount of dancing around the issue can blind most Jewish Americans to that reality.
Rogers and his Republican friends failed to condemn Trump for his unprecedented interference in Israel's upcoming election. Trump "demanded" that Israel elect his choice for Prime Minister and suggested that if Israel doesn't, he would not be inclined to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
This threat, which Trump can unilaterally carry out, puts the U.S.-Israel relationship at far greater risk than anything any candidate for the U.S. Senate can say or do.
As Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) said, "Israeli voters decide who leads Israel, not Trump. Pro-Israel American voters should remember this threat and see that Israel cannot count on Trump."
In Case You Missed It:
Jewish Insider Fail of the Week. October 20, JI relegated Trump's use of the antisemitic Shylock slur to the middle of its daily report while giving much more prominence to much less significant issues, real and imagined, regarding Democrats.
We should treat Jewish Insider with the level of trust that we would Fox News.
Social Media of the Week. Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL), Hunter Biden, Barack Obama, Alex Cole, and Maple April.
Best Replies of the Week. The replies to Shannon and to the new Atlanta Falcons logo.
Thread of the Week. Emily Tamkin.
Video Clip of the Week. This French protester.
Vintage Music Clip of the Week. Rolling Stones--Loving Cup.
The Fine Print. Read the fine print before you reply or send me anything.
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