Days before Michigan's Senate election, Democratic Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin stunned her party by announcing public support for the Republican candidate, Mike Rogers, and opposing the Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed over his ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.
The tight Michigan race could determine control of the Senate in Washington, and the visible tension inside the Democratic camp has now broken into the open, with a former party candidate turning sharply against her own side's nominee.
Slotkin's unprecedented move follows months of friction within Michigan's Democratic Party. Slotkin, regarded as a moderate voice and a consistent supporter of Israel, attacked the Islamist direction and radical wing represented by El-Sayed and his backers, joining forces with the Republican Rogers.
"I woke up this morning, decided to go to church, and I'm here standing next to the person I'm voting for. That person is Mike Rogers," Slotkin declared, standing beside him. She stressed the need for elected officials to put national interest first: "We have to stand with the country. We cannot stand with hate! We cannot stand with Hasan Piker!"
Slotkin also pointed to El-Sayed's and his family's connections to the Muslim Brotherhood and its branches, as exposed in recent weeks, as well as the fact that his sister had been under surveillance on suspicion of terror-support offenses.
