MIKE ROGERS ON CNN: ABDUL WON’T AND CAN’T DISAVOW THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD

DETROIT, MI – Army veteran, former FBI street agent, former House Intelligence Chair, and candidate for U.S. Senate Mike Rogers today joined Dana Bash on CNN’ State of the Union to emphasize that it’s time for change in Michigan and to call out Conman Abdul El-Sayed’s concerning ties to terrorist organizations.

WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE.

On Reshoring Michigan Manufacturing:

“Our long-term prospects, yes, [are better] because we have been able to, through some of the tariffs, [bring manufacturing back home]. This Chevy Silverado was being built in Mexico. They just now moved that back to Michigan. That's a multi-billion dollar investment in Michigan.

Remember, [in] the last eight years, we've lost 27,000 manufacturing jobs. The rest of the country has gained something like 100,000 manufacturing jobs. So, Democrats have been in control here in both Senate seats for a quarter century. In the last eight years in Michigan, that's why people are looking for a change here. If we don't change this outcome, if we don't keep jobs — 200,000 jobs we've lost in manufacturing since 2000. Our median wage slipped to $10,000 below the median average. I tie that directly to our manufacturing loss with that new plant coming, with reshoring happening in our suppliers. I mean, Detroit Diesel is now adding a third shift. They haven't done that in two decades. So, all of that is really incredibly important for our long-term benefit in the economy. When the war is over — and it will end, and I've called for it to end — guess what? Prices are coming down, and then we're in really good shape in Michigan to compete for the next generation of advanced manufacturing.”

On Abdul’s Family Ties to the Muslim Brotherhood:

“Listen, I've never called him a terrorist. I wore the uniform of the United States of America, so people can pray any way they want. That is not the issue here. What has become the issue is his relationship and his family’s relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood which is banned in five Muslim countries. You know, he wants to play the victim. This is not about that. This is about the way you think, not the way you pray. This is about your ideology and how dangerous it is. I mean, he has a long history of supporting the Muslim Brotherhood — which, by the way, diminishes women's role in society, just as they did when they took over in Egypt in 2012 and 2013. He supported that regime. He called for the purging of the press. He called for purging of police.”

I don't speak for the president…I'm running my race right here in Michigan, Dana... I know you guys want this to be about Trump. This is about Michiganders who are looking for hope and opportunity. Two thirds of our fourth graders can't read in the fourth grade. That means you have a 70 percent chance of going to prison or being on welfare. That's what we're worried about right here in Michigan.”

On Abdul’s Concerning Ideology:

“So, Hasan Piker, who really came to the state and [Abdul] had him here multiple times at five different events, took him to college campuses. This guy is full of hate and vitriol, not only for Jewish Americans but for Black Americans. You listen to his comments. This guy is as vile as they come. He has said he was excited about his answer because he did not disavow the Muslim Brotherhood. He didn't disavow it. He goes on this word salad trying to get around the fact he can’t do it. I don’t know why the press is so eager to protect this guy. It’s an ideology. My argument is: Is that ideology something we should worry about?

It's an ideology. It's not about him being a Muslim. Matter of fact, Muslims here in the state call our office a lot and say we're terrified that a guy with this ideology goes to the United States Senate. I mean, these are coming from Muslims in Michigan, let alone the five countries that banned the Muslim Brotherhood. He can't get away from it. His money comes from a group called CAIR, the Council for American Islamic Relations, that supports the Muslim Brotherhood. Right? He has money coming from these groups, and if you listen to that. He didn't disavow it. He didn't say no. He didn't say it worries me that they treat women differently under the Muslim Brotherhood's view of Sharia law. He didn't say any of that. He didn't because he won't and he can't. Matter of fact, it's the only thing he hasn't changed his opinion on in this election.”

On Bidenflation:

“Here’s what you have to understand is happening in Michigan, though. And I get it. That it's not easy, and it's not easy when you're buying groceries. But you have to remember, under the Biden administration [we had] 9% inflation. [The] first time we hit $5.07 a gallon was just two short years ago. So, if you think about the implications that Michiganders have lived through, we tried this other system of the Green New Deal — the Green Raw Deal, I would say — with higher energy prices, higher utility prices, 20 cents a gallon. They're calling for an increase in gas. So, when the war ends, and we get back, we're getting ourselves in shape. Or, the Republicans in Washington are trying to get it in shape, so that we can take full advantage of it. Lower prices, lower energy prices, more access to American energy. All of that will help us. They get it.

Most people I talk to are frustrated with the costs, you bet. Who isn't when you're paying over four bucks a gallon. That's why I called for a 70 cent a gallon tax holiday. Listen, we're trying to do things that we can. And by the way, you know who voted against that tax holiday? Democrats in Lansing. And so they want prices high. This is their modus operandi. We're trying to change that. This is a change election. If you want a better economy, you want your kids to stay here, if you want your kids reading again, this is the time that we do that.”

On Russian Sanctions:

“I would have voted for the [Russian] sanctions bill. If the president has a better idea to get diesel prices down, I'd be for it. I'm just a little skeptical that this will work in the way that the Administration wants it to work, and we're paying a pretty heavy price here in Michigan. We've got to get these prices down, which is why I called to wrap up the Iran conflict. We've got to get this thing settled. Our initial objectives have been met. Let's wrap it up. Let's get these prices back down. Let's get people putting a little more money in their wallets.”

On Lowering Diesel Costs:

“I think what he's trying to do is get prices down and still deal with an Iranian regime that wants to get back to having a nuclear weapon. And I think that just adds complexity to the geopolitical stage. And it looks to me like the President's trying to do something to bring down diesel prices. And again, I want diesel prices down, which is why I've called for a temporary diesel export ban here in the United States, a rebate for agricultural diesel use — which I'd have to do when I get elected, and I will. And so I've tried to come at it in a very different way. I do worry about the optics of it, but I understand what his motives are, and his motives are to try to get prices back down on diesel.

Diesel's hurting us. You know, September and October are the two biggest harvest months for Michigan. The second most diverse crop in the country comes out of Michigan. Most people don't know that, and so these are two really critical months for us, and the costs for our farmers to get out there and get the crops out of the field because of the price of diesel is not great. And it's really hard on a family who's showing up at the grocery store wondering why prices haven't come down.”

On Not Giving Putin an Inch:

“Well, we're also seeing India and China play a role in these high diesel prices. It's not just Iran. Iran is definitely a cause of this, but there are other causes geopolitically that are also raising prices, and I think that's probably what their conclusion was. But again, I would have voted for the sanctions bill on Russia. I don't think we can give Putin an inch, and we'll see. If the strategy works, hey, good on him because that means we're going to pay less for diesel here in the United States.”

On Obama Coming to Michigan:

“The coalitions, I have to tell you, are very, very exciting. Huge opportunities. We're talking about solutions when we go to these communities. We treat them with respect, we listen, and then we kind of forge an idea about what we're going to do to work together after the election. That's, I think, the biggest difference in all of this.

As people tell me from Detroit, Obama is coming here for Chuck Schumer. He's not coming here for us Detroiters. What we're finding is this is a huge opportunity for us to have conversations with people. The door hasn't been open to even have a conversation. And what I think people don't understand [is] I'm not going down there saying you have to be a Republican or vote Republican. I'm saying vote your values, vote for Mike Rogers. Here's why we're talking about education and skilled trades and getting opportunities for shop back for these kids, and getting them literate again. We have 15% of Detroiters -–15 in the eighth grade — can read at the eighth grade [level]. We have high truancy rates. Would you go to school if you can't read? I think it's criminal what we're doing in the school systems to these kids. That is not an opportunity to build.

We're having great conversations. You can see it. Where else do you have a Democrat for Rogers? They're doing their own thing. They have Black Americans from Detroit to Flint to Pontiac, [who] are coming out openly and saying they're going to endorse Mike Rogers. This is a land shift kind of thing. This is seismic, and it's not based on anything. It's not left. It's not right. People feel they've been abandoned. You can bring in Barack Obama, and they still love him. They do love Obama. They're going to show up in droves. [That] doesn't mean they're going to vote for Abdul El-Sayed, by our own conversations. And these are real. You start taking Jewish Democrats who are coming out. The former chairman of the Democrat Party came out opposed to Abdul Sayed. The Democrat Party. Nobody's talking about all of this. It's a real seismic shift. That's why we're going to win in November.”

Learn more about Mike Rogers and his plans to Get Michigan Working Again at RogersForSenate.com.

###