Michigan Democratic Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed made headlines for remarks on a now-defunct podcast. On the Sept. 7, 2021, episode of “America Dissected,” he claimed the US response to the Sept. 11 attacks caused deep harm. El-Sayed stated that “9/11 scarred our country in profound ways, but what we did after 9/11 scarred millions of other people.”
He argued the nation failed to center those suffering abroad. The candidate remarked that America squandered trillions of dollars fighting a war destined for defeat. He also condemned what he called an “era of death, destruction and destitution.” These comments have resurfaced as he runs for office.
Republican Senate hopeful Mike Rogers is using these words to attack El-Sayed’s character. Rogers, who chaired the House Intelligence Committee from 2011 to 2015, told The New York Post that the remarks are unacceptable. He declared that Abdul El-Sayed’s reaction to the worst tragedy in American history is disgusting and renders him wholly unfit for public office.
The Rogers campaign shared stories of Michiganders who helped with cleanup at Ground Zero. They highlighted the work of people like Joaquin Guerrero and his K9, Rookie. The dog drove to ground zero on September 12, 2001, to help families find closure.
Joaquin Guerrero and his K9, Rookie, served on the Saginaw Police Department.
On September 12, 2001 they drove to ground zero to try to bring closure to families. Nobody deserved this. pic.twitter.com/50hVevf0qj
— Mike Rogers (@MikeRogersForMI) September 8, 2026
El-Sayed also posted a tweet on Sept. 11, 2021, that is now deleted. In his writing, he stated, “Today, I grieve the 3K lives lost, 6K injuries sustained, and the infrastructural devastation in NYC, caused ignorantly in the name of my faith. He followed that with, “Tomorrow, I’ll mourn ~1M lives, millions of injuries, & infrastructural devastation in 3 countries, perpetrated ignorantly in the name of my country.”
A former member of the Democratic Socialists of America, Jake Altman, called the candidate dishonest and “sanctimonious.” Altman warned that the party is importing “the politics of Hezbollah into the United States.” He claimed the group has become “very susceptible to extremist takeover.
El-Sayed’s team says these attacks are dishonest. Campaign spokesperson Cole Wozniak informed The New York Post that Abdul has consistently condemned terrorism and the September 11 attacks without hesitation. Wozniak called Rogers’ efforts “bad-faith lies meant to mislead Michiganders.” The candidate also faced criticism for stumping with Twitch streamer Hasan Piker.
Piker once said America “deserved” 9/11 before trying to walk back the comment. Piker now keeps a framed copy of the Sept. 12, 2001, New York Times in his studio. During the podcast, El-Sayed detailed how he declined his mother’s offer to collect him from school on the day of the attacks. The primary race in Michigan remains tense as both sides fight for moderate support.
