Staff Reports
Tucker Carlson, the media commentator and newsletter host who once dominated prime time, stepped squarely into the Michigan Senate fight this week. In a paid newsletter entry and in public comments, Carlson defended Democratic nominee Abdul El‑Sayed’s resurfaced 2021 remarks about 9/11 and blasted Republican nominee Mike Rogers, calling El‑Sayed “obviously right” and suggesting Rogers is unfit for Washington. The move is as surprising as it is unhelpful to the GOP’s case on national security.
Carlson’s surprising defense of Abdul El‑Sayed
Carlson quoted El‑Sayed and argued the Michigan Democrat wasn’t praising terrorists but criticizing U.S. foreign‑policy blowback. That’s a fine academic argument in a college seminar. It is something else when a high‑profile conservative voice leans on it the week of the anniversary of America’s worst terrorist attack. Carlson, the former Fox News primetime host turned newsletter and podcast figure, has been drifting from GOP orthodoxy for months. Now he’s siding with a Democratic Senate nominee over a Republican who has been hawkish on national security. It looks less like principled dissent and more like attention theater.
The resurfaced 9/11 comments that set this off
El‑Sayed’s 2021 line — that “what we did after 9/11 scarred millions of other people” — and a deleted social post that compared U.S. actions to terrorist violence have been replayed across the campaign. That wording is clumsy and deeply sensitive. Voters and Jewish communities deserve clear answers, not evasive phrasing. Mike Rogers, the Republican Senate nominee and former U.S. Representative, called the comments disqualifying and used them in campaign messaging to raise national security and Israel concerns. Given the stakes, those are legitimate lines of attack; Carlson’s swoop to defend El‑Sayed just muddies the waters.
Why the Michigan Senate race needs clarity, not contrarianism
This is a competitive race that national groups and voters are watching closely. The central question for Michigan voters should be who will keep Americans safe and stand with allies, not which media celebrity has the loudest contrarian take this week. Rogers has a long record on security and foreign policy. Even if you don’t like his style, his focus on defending allies and deterring bad actors is exactly what voters expect from someone running for the U.S. Senate. Carlson attacking Rogers for pushing that case is tone‑deaf and risks helping a candidate whose words already need fuller explanation.
Voters should pick winners, not cable personalities
At the end of the day, Michigan voters will decide who represents them — not Tucker Carlson. But national commentators have power, and with that power comes responsibility. If Carlson wants to lecture the GOP about its foreign‑policy sins, fine — do it with nuance and without appearing to side with a Democrat whose comments about 9/11 hurt many Americans. Republicans should rebut sloppy rhetoric and make the case for security in plain language. Voters want clear choices. They don’t need another media stunt dressed up as thought leadership.
