Mike Rogers says voters should be 'angry' that El-Sayed failed to recognize Oct 7 anniversary

Former Michigan GOP Rep. Mike Rogers told voters Thursday that they should "get absolutely angry" at Michigan Democratic  Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed for failing to acknowledge the anniversary of the Oct. 7 terror attacks on Israel this week.

The comment occurred during the first Michigan Senate debate. Rogers is the Republican nominee for Senate and is facing El-Sayed next month in the midterms. 

"Let me tell you this one thing," Rogers said. "Yesterday was October 7. This is why you should get absolutely angry. He could not bring himself to even acknowledge the pain, the terrorism, the rape, the murders, cutting off of women's breasts, putting children in ovens and killing them in front of their families." 

El-Sayed interrupted Rogers to state that he has condemned the initial attack. However, the Democrat did not put out a public statement regarding the anniversary on Wednesday. 

"Three years ago today, the world witnessed in horror the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust," Rogers said in his own statement. "Over 1,200 innocent civilians, including Americans, were killed by the hands of barbaric Hamas terrorists. This dark day is a sad reminder that evil exists all around us. And how we respond to evil determines how much it grows." 

Rogers called El-Sayed out in his statement, highlighting his friendship with Hasan Piker and accused the Democrat of fundraising off the massacre's anniversary last year. 

"These are insults to everyone who lost their lives that tragic day," he said. "At a time when we especially need to turn the temperature down and stand alongside our Jewish friends and neighbors, he only spreads antisemitism and incites more violence."

The explosive debate featured a wide range of topics, from foreign policy to social security and medicare. The debate was the first of two that the candidates have agreed to ahead of next month's elections. The second debate will take place Oct. 21.

You can watch the debate here.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.