# Carlson backs Democrat over Republican in tightly contested Michigan Senate race - URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/tucker-carlson-spurns-republican-in-battleground-race-that-could-tip-senate-heaping-praise-on-trumpian-democrat/ - Published: 2026-09-03T16:28:30+00:00 - Updated: 2026-09-03T17:14:42+00:00 - Original publisher: Daily Mail (publisher lean: Right) - Original article: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16102613/Tucker-Carlson-spurns-Republican-praises-Trumpian-Democrat-Michigan-El-Sayed-Rogers.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490 - Topics: Americas, Government, Politics, World ## Key points - Tucker Carlson snubs Republican Mike Rogers, praises Democrat Abdul El-Sayed's style - Michigan Senate race is rated a toss-up amid fight for Senate control - Move reflects Carlson's growing split from mainstream MAGA Republicans ## Summary Right-wing podcaster Tucker Carlson has publicly rejected Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers in Michigan's closely watched Senate race, instead praising Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed's campaign style as "Trumpian". Speaking on his podcast alongside Saagar Enjeti, Carlson said he wouldn't vote for Rogers "at gun point" and branded him a "tool of Israel and the intel agencies", even as both hosts acknowledged El-Sayed is a radical leftist. The remarks matter because they highlight a widening rift between Carlson and mainstream MAGA Republicanism, and could complicate Republican efforts to win a seat rated a "toss up" in the fight for Senate control. El-Sayed narrowly won a turbulent Democratic primary over Congresswoman Haley Stevens, prompting President Trump to call him a "Communist loser who hates Jews and Israel" while welcoming the tight result as good news for Republicans. Carlson's comments follow a summer gathering at his Maine cabin with figures including Marjorie Taylor Greene, Thomas Massie and Joe Kent, seen as part of a broader effort to build an alternative political movement outside traditional MAGA lines. The Daily Mail said Republican operatives and party representatives did not respond to requests for comment. --- Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.