In a bold closing move in one of the nation’s tightest Senate contests, Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed is reaching across the aisle—directly into conservative media—to make his final pitch to Trump-friendly voters.
El-Sayed’s new ad, titled “Red Hat,” premiered exclusively on Fox News and Newsmax as part of a six-figure buy running through Election Day. The spot opens with the progressive Democrat acknowledging that he and conservative voters “agree on a lot,” before cutting to a montage of conservative figures praising him or criticizing his Republican rival, former Rep. Mike Rogers.
The ad’s placement puts El-Sayed’s message before viewers of the conservative networks whose personalities appear in the spot. It is a calculated appeal to voters who backed Donald Trump in 2024, as El-Sayed seeks to win support in a state that has swung between parties in recent presidential elections.
Michigan Senate race is one of the most closely watched national contests that could affect both parties’ campaigns for control of the chamber. The Cook Political Report rates the race a toss-up, meaning it could go either way.
🚨 BREAKING: Abdul El-Sayed releases new ad of Fox News hosts praising him.
He is running on Medicare for All and taxing the rich. https://t.co/wf3OvheI4P
— Democrats Deliver (@DemzDeliver) October 23, 2026
Rogers lost to Democrat Elissa Slotkin by fewer than 20,000 votes in Michigan’s 2024 Senate race.
Trump carried Michigan in 2024 after the state voted for Joe Biden in 2020, underscoring its status as a closely contested battleground. Trump has also criticized El-Sayed and sought to associate him with jihadist thinking.
Currently, Republicans hold a 53–47 Senate majority and Democrats are trying to use voter discontent amid inflation and ongoing U.S.-Iran war to topple the equation.
The ad’s launch coincided with a high-profile weekend in Michigan. Former President Barack Obama was scheduled to campaign with El-Sayed in Detroit on Saturday, the first day of statewide early in-person voting, while Trump was scheduled to rally for Rogers in Port Huron on Sunday.
“It is not how he prays, it’s how he thinks.”
Mike Rogers takes aim at Abdul El-Sayed, accusing the Michigan Democrat of embracing the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Rogers points to his own family’s military service, saying Americans have the freedom to practice their religion, but argues that his criticism centers on El-Sayed’s alleged ideological views.
Watch Rogers explain his accusations in the Fox News app: https://t.co/ISpW9Fc0R3
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 23, 2026
In the ad, El-Sayed leans into themes intended to resonate beyond the traditional Democratic base.
“Washington is a corrupt swamp. The big corporations and elites run the show there, and it raises our costs. Release the Epstein files, and yeah, free speech is under attack, and we should Make America Healthy Again,” he says. “Stop wasting our tax dollars on overseas wars and end bad trade deals.”
He then turns to the conservative voices featured in the spot: “Don’t wanna take my word for it? How about some folks you know a little bit better?”
The mosaic features Fox News host Jesse Watters praising El-Sayed for beating “the machine,” political commentator. Also included is Tucker Carlson, who says: “I wouldn’t vote for Mike Rogers at gunpoint.”
Ocasio-Cortez Puts $1 Million Behind Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan Senate Race
The ad closes with El-Sayed declaring: “I approve this message, because for me, it’s Michigan First, and we can agree on that.”
The strategy reflects the balancing act El-Sayed has maintained throughout the campaign: seeking common ground with Trump voters while criticizing MAGA politics.
Rogers, meanwhile, has embraced the Trump administration in the campaign’s final weeks while saying he would push back when federal policies harm Michigan.
The Republican has sought to portray El-Sayed as untrustworthy and has challenged his positions and alleged links to the Muslim Brotherhood, which El-Sayed denies.
Muhammad Luqman is Associate Editor at Views News Now. He writes on wide-ranging issues including economy, South Asia, the Middle East, agriculture, economy and innovation. Luqman has worked some of the leading news organizations and won acclaim for his original and research-based works.
