At the Michigan Senate debate on October 21, 2026, Republican Mike Rogers accused Democrat Abdul Al-Sayed of ties to Islamic extremist groups without offering evidence. Al-Sayed responded sarcastically, joking that he was a terrorist. Rogers has since repeated the unfounded claims about the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas and Hezbollah at a farm rally in Jackson, Michigan. The race could decide control of the Senate, and the discussion remains centered on the unsupported accusation and the sarcastic reply rather than on policy.