El-Sayed and Rogers discuss health care, tariffs and Israel in CBS interviews
Michigan Senate candidates Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers outlined their policy differences in separate interviews with CBS' 60 Minutes, published November 1. The interviews covered health care, artificial intelligence, tariffs and Israel, alongside allegations about El-Sayed's ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.
El-Sayed said his version of Medicare for All would preserve private health insurance options and be funded partly through a tax on billionaire wealth. He called for a Cabinet-level agency to regulate artificial intelligence and a pause on frontier AI research. Rogers emphasized literacy and outreach to Black voters, saying he wanted to focus on Michigan.
Rogers said he opposed tariffs affecting Michigan's trade with Canada and would support efforts to override President Trump on tariffs if necessary. On the Muslim Brotherhood, CBS said Rogers cited a 2012 letter El-Sayed signed supporting Egypt's newly elected government. El-Sayed declined to comment on the letter but said he disavowed the Brotherhood and argued Republicans were targeting his Islamic faith.
Rogers accused El-Sayed of refusing to acknowledge Israel's right to exist. El-Sayed said he believed in equal rights to peace, dignity and self-determination for Palestinians and Jewish Israelis. He said he would support either two states or a shared state if both peoples chose it on equal terms.
Rogers also accused his opponent's rhetoric of fostering antisemitism. El-Sayed said he would stand with Jewish Americans despite disagreements over Israel.
