Former Biden Special Assistant: ‘Angry’ El-Sayed Got ‘Decked’ by Rogers During Debate

A former Biden administration staffer reluctantly concluded that Republican Mike Rogers soundly defeated Democrat Abdul El-Sayed in a Thursday night debate.

The two are dueling for an open Senate seat in a high-profile Michigan race.

Michael LaRosa, who served as a special assistant to President Joe Biden and press secretary to former First Lady Jill Biden, said the debate was a loss for El-Sayed, a darling of the Democratic Party’s far-left progressive wing.

“Rogers showed up tonight and exceeded expectations. He spoke with absolute moral clarity about who Abdul El-Sayed actually is,” he wrote on X.

Rogers also “hit the right notes clearly and forcefully, and he didn’t flinch when going in on the attack.”

“He was confident, direct, and leaned into every line,” LaRosa wrote.

MI DEBATE TAKEAWAYS:

Rogers showed up tonight and exceeded expectations. He spoke with absolute moral clarity about who Abdul El-Sayed actually is, he hit the right notes clearly and forcefully, and he didn’t flinch when going in on the attack. He was confident, direct, and leaned into every line.

I’ve yet to see Abdul on his heels like he was tonight. He walked away like a very unhappy and frustrated candidate.

Watch the body language: Abdul looked deflated, hung his head, and begrudgingly shook the moderator’s hand. He was angry and frustrated.

Rogers walked offstage with pep in his step—smiling, confident, and exuberant—like a guy who knows he not only won the debate but also decked his opponent. #MISEN

— Michael LaRosa (@MichaelLaRosaDC) October 9, 2026

“I’ve yet to see Abdul on his heels like he was tonight. He walked away like a very unhappy and frustrated candidate,” he wrote.

“Watch the body language: Abdul looked deflated, hung his head, and begrudgingly shook the moderator’s hand. He was angry and frustrated.”

In contrast, he noted, “Rogers walked offstage with pep in his step — smiling, confident, and exuberant — like a guy who knows he not only won the debate but also decked his opponent.”

During the debate, Rogers said El-Sayed’s support for a cornerstone progressive policy dubbed “Medicare for All” would spend too much taxpayer money, according to NBC News.

“It is a disaster,” Rogers said. “We cannot afford Abdul.”

Rogers said El-Sayed talks a good game, but reality would be different.

“Listen to this guy and what he’s trying to sell here today. You’re going to find out that this guy is not what he says he is. He is actually selling the best con I think I’ve ever seen,” he said.

President Donald Trump weighed in on the debate.

“Mike Rogers, the great American Patriot and Republican Candidate for the U.S. Senate from Michigan, completely obliterated Mohammed El-Sayed in the big debate tonight,” Trump, who did not use El-Sayed’s actual first name, wrote on Truth Social.

“If this was a fight they would have stopped it. Mohammed is a Jihadist lunatic who hates our Country, the Black People of Detroit, and wants to see the U.S. fail,” he wrote.

“Short on Stature, Patriotism, and Truth, Mohammed’s statements have been loaded up with lies and deceit,” Trump wrote.

“I won Michigan BIG, and know that Mike Rogers, a total winner, is the man for you!!!”

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