Trump dominates El-Sayed's attacks against Rogers, but GOP rival offers unexpected policy split
President Donald Trump was the unofficial third person onstage at Wednesdayâs Michigan U.S.
Senate debate, as Democrat Abdul El-Sayed repeatedly invoked him while seeking to cast Republican Mike Rogers as Trumpâs "sock puppet." El-Sayed mentioned Trump 18 times during the hour-long debate and repeatedly called Rogersâ responses "MAGA bingo," accusing the Republican of relying on Trump-aligned talking points.
Rogers, however, broke with Trump on a couple of trade issues.
The phrase became a running theme throughout the night, with El-Sayed declaring "MAGA bingo" after Rogers accused him of supporting socialist policies, open borders and defunding the police.
Rogers eventually turned the attack back on his opponent, suggesting that the real bingo game was every time El-Sayed included Trump in his answer.
Rogers, however, did not align with Trump on every issue.
He split with Trump on trade, calling the presidentâs tariffs a "mixed bag" and saying tariffs on Canada may have been "not well thought through." âDESTROYING THE AMERICAN WAY OF LIFEâ: EL-SAYEDâS POLITICAL ORBIT COMPLICATES EFFORT TO MODERATE HIS IMAGE He also opposed Chinese automakers building vehicles in the United States, saying during the debate that Congress should ban the ability for the Chinese to build cars in the United States.
El-Sayed countered by pointing out that Trump has said he would be open to Chinese automakers building vehicles in the United States and questioned whether Rogers would stand up to Trump on the issue.
Wednesday evening marked the second debate between El-Sayed and Rogers, just weeks before Michiganâs midterm election .
The battle for the swing stateâs open Senate seat has drawn national attention not only because it could help determine control of the upper chamber, but because it has emerged as a major test of the Democratic Partyâs progressive wing in a key battleground state.
El-Sayed, backed by progressive heavyweights including Sen.
Bernie Sanders , I-Vt., and Rep.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has campaigned on a progressive agenda that includes Medicare for All, higher taxes on the wealthy, ending U.S. military aid to Israel and abolishing ICE.
While El-Sayed worked to paint Rogers as a Trump-aligned "corporate politician," Rogers repeatedly branded his Democratic opponent as having a "pattern of deception," accusing him of misrepresenting his record and shifting his positions.
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