El-Sayed's Fox News Interview Exposed How Radical and Unfit for
This story raises questions about governance, accountability, and American values.
Roop Raj called Abdul El-Sayed “brilliant” on air before essentially handing him a victory lap. That’s not journalism. That’s campaign staff work with a media badge.
New Republican Times Editorial Board
On September 15, Abdul El-Sayed had what was essentially an interview with Roop Raj, an anchor with Fox 2 in Detroit. Raj is a fan of El-Sayed, calling him "brilliant," and he also engaged in shady debate practices, including planting candidates' staff in the audience for questions and refusing to fact-check blatantly false statements.
Mike Rogers was right to skip this so-called "debate," because he would have had to debate both El-Sayed and his buddy Roop Raj.
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New Republican Times Editorial Board
Roop Raj called Abdul El-Sayed “brilliant” on air before essentially handing him a victory lap. That’s not journalism. That’s campaign staff work with a media badge. The anchor reportedly helped plant friendly questions in the audience and declined to press El-Sayed on claims that didn’t survive contact with reality. Mike Rogers had every reason to skip that setup. Walking into it would have meant debating both the candidate and the moderator.
El-Sayed wants to be governor of Michigan. Fine. But if his best argument requires a friendly anchor to lob softballs and stack the room, that tells voters something. That’s not a debate. That’s a showcase. Real candidates answer tough questions from people who don’t already think they’re brilliant. Michigan Democrats spent years demanding Republicans show up to every forum, then turned around and celebrated a moderator who acts like a campaign volunteer. They don’t want transparency. They want a stage.
Rogers showed more sense by staying away than El-Sayed showed by showing up. If the left wants to lecture about accountability, they should start with their own events. Skipping a sham isn’t dodging. It’s called having standards. Voters can spot the difference between a real exchange and an infomercial.
Commentary written with AI assistance by the New Republican Times Editorial Board.