Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed has challenged Republican rival Mike Rogers to a tackle football match without pads, escalating an already hostile campaign dispute into a personal stunt. The challenge appears to respond to criticism of El-Sayed’s past comments about football and masculinity, highlighting the increasingly combative tone of the Senate contest.

The article says footage from 2024 has resurfaced in which El-Sayed described football as associated with toxic masculinity and criticised fireworks as harmful. Republican figures, including Senator Tim Scott, have used those remarks to attack him, while the proposed match puts football at the centre of the political row.