WATCH: “At least Florida is in the USA” as Mike Rogers Presses El-Sayed

Adriana Stone 0 2 min read

Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed faced off in a Michigan U.S. Senate debate. The clips highlighted exchanges over where the candidates live, El-Sayed’s medical credentials, foreign policy, family ties and voter reaction—and gave the Rogers campaign several moments to circulate.

One of the clearest moments began when El-Sayed criticized Rogers for having a home in Florida. Rogers responded by pointing to El-Sayed’s reported home in the United Arab Emirates; the accompanying social-media post also refers to homes in Dubai and Pakistan. In the debate clip, Rogers said, “at least Florida is in the United States.”

The post summed up the contrast with the line “At least Florida is in the USA.” The message from Rogers’ side was simple: El-Sayed was criticizing a home in an American state while facing questions about properties overseas.

Another clip focused on Rogers’ claim that El-Sayed is not actually a licensed doctor. Rogers told the audience, “He’s not really a doctor. If somebody came into his office and he tried to treat them, he’d go to jail!” The source presents that statement as Rogers’ argument during the debate and as a rebuttal to claims from El-Sayed’s supporters. It does not provide separate licensing records.

Rogers also pressed El-Sayed on a foreign-policy question involving Israel and Iran. El-Sayed was asked which country posed the greater threat to the United States. Rather than select one, he rejected the premise and said, “That’s a ridiculous hypothetical.” The accompanying reaction argued that Iran’s hostility toward the United States made the question straightforward. For Rogers’ supporters, El-Sayed’s refusal to answer directly became another point of attack.

A separate exchange brought up El-Sayed’s family history. Rogers mentioned that El-Sayed’s mother worked for a group with ties to Al-Qaeda. A post from Senate Republicans went further, alleging that the organization funneled money to Osama bin Laden, Hamas and the Taliban. The same post claimed that Rogers’ mother worked at her local Chamber of Commerce. Those details are presented as campaign claims, and the source article includes no additional documentation or response from El-Sayed.

The final video shifted away from the debate stage and focused on one voter. A woman who claims to be a lifelong Democrat said she would vote Republican for the first time because she would not support El-Sayed. Her stated reason was direct: “I’m voting for @MikeRogersForMI because I would not vote for El-Sayed.” The clip offers a personal voter reaction, not polling data or an election result.

Taken together, the clips give the Rogers campaign a sharp contrast-based message. Rogers attacked El-Sayed over overseas homes, questioned his medical credentials, challenged his response on Iran, raised allegations involving his mother’s former organization and highlighted a voter who says she is crossing party lines.

The broader argument from the Rogers side is that El-Sayed’s far-left approach helped him in the Democratic primary but may be struggling in the general election. Whether that message gains traction with Michigan voters remains the central question, but the debate gave Rogers several short, pointed moments to keep circulating.

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