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Senate candidates Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed is lashing out on social media against Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers, who is advocating that police monitor election polls in Detroit.
'Mike Rogers has learned from Daddy Trump. He’s trying to pre-rig the election," he wrote on X on Sunday afternoon. "He knows he can’t win without voter intimidation tactics like putting cops at the polls. What’s next? Poll taxes? GTFOH."
El-Sayed is referring to a Detroit News report by Melissa Nann Burke
Craig Mauger and Chad Livengood:
Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Mike Rogers said recently he wants off-duty or retired police officers to be recruited as poll watchers in Detroit ― a move that would revive a strategy historically used to scare or intimidate voters of color.
The News obtained an audio recording of Rogers, a former Congressman and ex-FBI agent, speaking to the Kalamazoo County GOP on April 17. He said he's working with the Republican National Committee in relation to voter integrity efforts.
"We called the RNC early and said, 'Hey, if we're going to do this again, I don't want to wake up at, you know, go to bed at 2 a.m. a winner and wake up at 4 a.m. a loser. I'm kind of done with that,'" said Rogers.
"And I've been telling them, 'You know what, let's put police officers — retired or off-duty police officers— as our poll watchers in Detroit.' Because, go ahead: Try to intimidate them. Please."
He went on to say the officers can't wear uniforms, but all they have to do is open their jacket and "you see the badge on the belt, right?"
The News reports that the remarks echoed those Trump made in 2020 when he said he'd send sheriffs and law enforcement officials to polling locations as a guard against voter fraud. The remarks triggered accusations of voter intimidation.
In a statement to The News, Rogers' spokeswoman Alyssa Brouillet said:
“Michigan Democrats have done nothing but dismantle public trust in our elections. Mike believes we need people of integrity, such as teachers, retired law enforcement, and construction workers, to step up to the plate and volunteer to ensure Michiganders have elections they can count on."
