Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed met Wednesday night in the second and final debate of Michigan's increasingly bitter U.S. Senate race, which aired on WXYZ-TV. The candidates answered questions on manufacturing and Canadian tariffs, immigration enforcement, health care and the war with Iran. The exchange was somewhat tamer than their first debate earlier this month, which featured insults and interruptions in nearly every answer, but it remained testy.

El-Sayed, a former executive director of the Detroit Health Department, repeatedly argued that Rogers, a former congressman, would be a "sock puppet" for President Donald Trump. He described Rogers' platform as a "MAGA vision" and said his opponent stands "hip-to-hip" with Trump on policies he said are raising gas and grocery prices. El-Sayed also invited the audience to play "MAGA bingo" in response to Rogers' attack lines. Rogers replied that the bingo game should be counting how many times El-Sayed mentions Trump in an answer. After the debate, Rogers told reporters he planned to attend a Trump rally in Michigan on Sunday, though he said final details were not yet known.

Rogers accused El-Sayed of a "pattern of deception" about his platform and said many Democrats were declining to support him because he is "too extreme." He also claimed El-Sayed was aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America and wanted bigger government and higher taxes. El-Sayed describes himself as a capitalist and is not a DSA member, though he is backed by several members of the group, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who campaigned with him in the Upper Peninsula last week. Opening statements reflected each side's central theme: Rogers cited lost manufacturing jobs and high utility and auto insurance rates, while El-Sayed pledged to lower the cost of living.

The most contentious moment came when Rogers questioned whether El-Sayed, a Michigan-born Muslim who would be the first Muslim elected to the Senate, is loyal to the United States. Rogers tried to link him to the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist group founded in Egypt, and said he had donors who supported Iran-backed groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah. "Are you for America or are you for these terrorist groups overseas?" Rogers asked. El-Sayed called the attack "shameful," said he is proud to be an American, and rejected the allegations. He has repudiated the Brotherhood and noted he was not raised by his birth mother after his parents divorced. The charges followed reports earlier this month on social media posts by his half sister suggesting his mother had supported the group, and came amid false claims by Trump that El-Sayed is a "jihadist."

The race is neck and neck and is among the most closely watched contests of the November midterms, with the potential to help decide control of the Senate. Democrats hope to capitalize on Trump's low approval ratings and voter frustration over inflation and the Iran war, while Republicans are seeking to exploit divisions between progressives such as El-Sayed and moderate Democrats over Middle East policy and Medicare for All. With no further debates scheduled, both campaigns now turn to the final stretch before Election Day, including Trump's planned Sunday rally in the state.