On Sunday, a Democratic congresswoman endorsed a Republican for the United States Senate over her own party’s choice. Rep. Haley Stevens endorsed Mike Rogers over Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed, claiming El-Sayed is too extreme to support.

Haley’s announcement shouldn’t be controversial. El-Sayed, whose family is originally from Egypt, has genuinely concerning views, especially on foreign policy.

• He has repeatedly, in front of cameras, dodged the question or answered evasively when asked if he believes Israel has a right to exist.
• He has actively campaigned with Turkish-American influencer Hasan Piker, who notoriously claimed America deserved the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and that Hamas is “a thousand times better” than Israel.
• In a debate with Rogers, El-Sayed declined to say whether Iran or Israel were a greater threat to America.
• On March 12, an Islamist terror attack occurred against the Temple Israel synagogue in a suburb of Detroit. The terrorist, Ayman Mohammed Ghazali, was from Lebanon and had family in the terrorist group Hezbollah who were recently killed in Israeli operations. Claiming the attack needed to be contextualized, El-Sayed said “hurt people [referring to Ghazali] hurt people” and that his family was “innocent people.”
• In 2012, El-Sayed signed a letter supporting Egypt’s new Islamist, Muslim Brotherhood-backed president, Mohamed Morsi. The letter said its authors “support the revolutionary decisions taken by the president” and called on Morsi to “purge the media and the police as quickly as possible.” The letter was signed days after Morsi established a new decree giving himself immunity from Egypt’s courts.
• In 2010, Oklahoma approved a referendum banning the use of Sharia law, or Islamic law, in state judicial matters. In 2022, El-Sayed gave a speech at a conference held by cair, a Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated organization, saying that the “same exact forces” were responsible for the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing.

Some critics allege El-Sayed has direct connections with terrorist groups. Aside from his affiliation with cair, there is little evidence of that. But the principles of a candidate with overt connections to a group like Hamas wouldn’t sound too different.

Stevens, in her announcement, said she is still a proud Democrat and still stands for everything she has always stood for. But she told the Free Press that she endorsed Rogers because “I think he loves the country.”

None of this should be controversial. El-Sayed’s views and actions are genuinely extreme. Yet the Democratic establishment has almost entirely sided with El-Sayed.

Betrayal?

The Democratic Party has erupted in anger over Stevens’s endorsement. Michigan party chair Curtis Hertel claimed, “Congresswoman Stevens is not a current member of the Michigan Democratic Party, nor will she be in the future.” According to reporting from Axios, some representatives want to remove Stevens from the House Democratic Caucus. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Stevens gave “a despicable betrayal.” Rep. Jamie Raskin told Axios he felt “a great sense of betrayal for this to happen at the last minute before such a critical election.”

Arguably an even bigger protest came from Stevens’s own staffers. Justin German, her chief of staff until recently, said the staffers were “shocked and heartbroken” to see Stevens’s endorsement of Rogers. German said he spoke “on behalf of our team in wholeheartedly supporting Abdul El-Sayed for the Senate.” He concluded by stating that “many members of our team have resigned, including myself. We encourage everyone to exercise their civic duty, vote for Abdul and Democrats up and down the ballot, and stand up for the America we all believe in.”

Many Democratic politicians see these midterms as their party’s last big chance to stand up to President Donald Trump. They are hoping to ride a wave of unpopularity with the Iran war and fuel prices. Michigan has been a traditional safe space for the Democratic Party in the Senate. El-Sayed’s rise has perhaps allowed the Republicans their best chance in decades to gain a senator from Michigan. Likewise, the Democratic Party establishment sees Stevens’s endorsement as sabotaging this critical race.

But with the Democratic Party supporting El-Sayed, one must ask who is betraying whom.

El-Sayed’s comments aren’t that different from the fearmongering Jew-hatred spewed by right-wing provocateur Tucker Carlson. Democrats have been attacking conservatives who refuse to distance themselves from Carlson as being anti-Semitic. Yet in this case, they are going further than the “alternative right.” They are actively sponsoring someone who is essentially an Islamist to become a United States senator. They are normalizing the Islamic worldview in an important branch of government and setting the precedent for more to follow.

This worldview is fundamentally at odds with 250 years of American values. But despite calls from some circles in America’s Muslim population that the U.S. should attack Israel as a “genocidal” state, that it should support radical jihadist groups abroad, and that it should allow the influence of such groups within America, radical Islamists have generally been unable to get elected to high office. The election of Abdul El-Sayed would change that overnight. The precedent would be set for El-Sayed-type candidates to enter Congress and governorships all over the country.

This vision for “the America they all believe in” received support from a noteworthy individual who knows a thing or two about empowering Islamic radicals.

Endorsement

Former President Barack Obama appeared with El-Sayed at an October 24 campaign rally in Detroit. Obama endorsed El-Sayed as “fighting for change, real change” and the man who would “finish the job we started with the Affordable Care Act and guarantee quality, affordable health care to every single American.”

El-Sayed previously opposed some of Obama’s legacy but reportedly, after a post-primary phone call, came to see Obama somewhat as a mentor. On October 8, El-Sayed said he wished to “pick up the baton” from Obama and continue his cause. He said he has a “deep love for him just like I have a deep love for my dad and all that he’s done to make my life possible ….”

As Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry explains in America Under Attack, Obama as president, and even years after, was instrumental in bringing heavy curses on the U.S. Among these curses was empowering Islamic extremism to take over American allies, such as Israel and Egypt. But the successful second presidential run of Donald Trump suggested Obama and his work were being silenced.

“Obama wielded power beyond any other figure in recent memory,” Mr. Flurry wrote in our March 2025 Trumpet issue. “Many people still don’t realize how much of America’s self-destruction traces back to him. But now he is a shell of what he was!”

Mr. Flurry based his analysis on scriptures like 2 Kings 14:26-28, which speak of a time in ancient Israel’s history when the nation was under so much “bitter affliction” that, if God didn’t intervene, forces would “blot out the name of Israel from under heaven” (verse 27). But God did intervene through bringing a man—anciently King Jeroboam ii—to leadership. Comparing this scripture to prophecies in places like the book of Amos, Mr. Flurry said the account in 2 Kings applies to America today—with Obama being the main instrument of affliction. (Read America Under Attack to learn more.)

Mr. Flurry wrote in his 2025 article: “We will see just how decisive and permanent this loss of influence is.” God removed this man’s influence to give the nation a chance to repent and turn to Him. Yet the rampant immorality, corruption in high circles and other sins of the people are still well established in America. And Obama appears to be making a comeback.

America Still Under Attack?

In America Under Attack, Mr. Flurry ties Obama’s foreign-policy decisions (such as empowering the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt) as part of his campaign to “blot out the name of Israel.” During the Arab Spring, that meant installing an Islamist government that was an enemy to the State of Israel in the Middle East. But today, Obama is literally sponsoring an Egyptian-American connected with the Muslim Brotherhood to become a United States senator.

Apparently, it isn’t enough to empower the Muslim Brotherhood in Cairo—they must take power in Washington as well.

Even if El-Sayed doesn’t win the election, that a man with his views has gotten so far is astounding. He won Michigan’s Democratic primary. He has virtually the entire Democratic establishment on his side—to the point where that establishment is now attacking Representative Stevens for stating the obvious.

Something very dark is happening in Michigan. If you haven’t ordered a free copy of America Under Attack yet, I highly recommend you do so. Barack Obama’s presidency may have ended in 2017, but his destructive influence still runs deep. It is imperative that you know where this is coming from and why.