Full Breakdown
Ted Cruz Accuses Michigan Senate Candidate Abdul El-Sayed of Muslim Brotherhood Ties
By Drooid · · How we work
In this breakdown
01
Core Event: Cruz’s Security-Clearance Warning
On October 28, 2026, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) addressed a rally in Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan, warning that electing Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed to the U.S. Senate could pose a national-security risk because senators receive no security-clearance review after election.
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Video: Trump attacks Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan campaign stop
02
Background & Context
The open Michigan Senate seat has become a national battleground. The state, once a Democratic stronghold, voted for President Donald Trump in 2016 and 2024 but elected Democrat Elissa Slotkin in 2024. Republican nominee Mike Rogers, backed by Cruz and former President Trump, has centered his campaign on alleged ties between El-Sayed and the Muslim Brotherhood—a group partially designated as a terrorist organization by the Trump administration in January 2021. El-Sayed, a U.S.-born physician, has repeatedly denied any affiliation, citing his half-sister’s 2012-2013 social-media posts about a birth-mother’s 1970s activism in Egypt as the source of the allegations.
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03
Data & Statistics
- A MISEN poll released in early 2026 shows El-Sayed leading Rogers by roughly 6 percentage points.
- CBS News Battleground Tracker rates the race as a toss-up.
04
Official Statements & Responses
Cruz argued that, without a security-clearance process, a senator could be placed on the Intelligence Committee and gain access to classified information. He linked this possibility to ongoing U.S. combat operations against groups he described as “Muslim Brotherhood terrorists.”
Rogers echoed the security theme, labeling El-Sayed’s alleged loyalties as “dual” and suggesting the candidate would prioritize “terrorist groups overseas.”
El-Sayed responded at a Marquette event later this month, emphasizing his constitutional commitment and rejecting any implication that his personal faith affects his public service. He noted that his mother and sister are not in politics and urged voters to judge him by his actions.
The El-Sayed campaign, represented by spokesperson Cole Wozniak, condemned the accusations as a “bigoted anti-Muslim smear campaign” and framed them as a distraction from economic concerns such as rising gas and grocery prices.
05
Criticism & Opposition
Matt Duss, executive vice president of the Center for International Policy, called the televised clip “straight-up incitement” and condemned C-SPAN for broadcasting it.
06
Verbatim Quotes
- “My nickname for the guy is the jihadist leprechaun,” — Sen. Ted Cruz
- “I don't know about dual loyalties. The demonstrated loyalties he has are to the Muslim Brotherhood,” — Sen. Ted Cruz
- “When you can't tell the truth about things that matter on life and death, I just don't think you have any business being in the United States Senate, and people need to know that,” — Mike Rogers
- “My mom and my sister are not running for office. I'm running for office. Judge me by my actions and my work, but please do not assume that because I might pray differently than anybody who's ever held this office, that somehow I am not deeply committed to this Constitution,” — Abdul El-Sayed
07
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The claim that El-Sayed’s birth-mother was active in the Muslim Brotherhood in the 1970s relies on half-sister posts from 2012-2013; no independent verification of El-Sayed’s personal involvement has been presented.
08
What’s Next
Michigan voters will head to the polls next week in a midterm election that will determine which party controls the Senate. Analysts note that the outcome could influence committee assignments, including potential placement of the winner on the Senate Intelligence Committee, and may shape the broader political landscape heading into the 2028 presidential cycle.