Trump Campaigns for Rogers as Michigan Senate Race Tightens

President Donald Trump traveled to Port Huron, Michigan, on October 25 to campaign for Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers, intensifying the party's efforts to retain political ground ahead of the midterm elections. The rally followed a campaign appearance by former President Barack Obama, who criticized the White House while rallying Democratic supporters in the state.

The Michigan Senate contest is among the most competitive races of the election cycle. Trump attacked Obama after the former president blamed the administration for voters' frustrations, highlighting the growing political confrontation as candidates enter the final full week of campaigning.

Separately, a federal appeals court was scheduled to hear arguments from California and the Justice Department over state voter rolls. The dispute follows a lawsuit filed by the department earlier in October against California and Los Angeles County, seeking to prevent officials from counting more than 20,000 mail-in ballots associated with people the federal government believes are likely noncitizens.

The legal challenge has raised questions about federal intervention in state election administration shortly before Election Day. The Justice Department is also pursuing a separate case involving Alaska's US Senate election.

Attorney General Todd Blanche denied that the Alaska lawsuit, which seeks to block certification of the election if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses, represents an effort by Trump to prepare for overturning election results.

In Michigan, Rogers faced questions about comments he made in 2012 concerning the Muslim Brotherhood. The Republican has sought to connect his Democratic opponent, Abdul El-Sayed, to the Islamist political movement while addressing his own earlier remarks about possible engagement with its moderate members.

A 2012 Reuters report quoted Rogers warning that members of the Muslim Brotherhood had “graduated to al Qaeda.” The report also included his statement on potential engagement with moderate members of the organization.

Rogers, who chaired the House Intelligence Committee at the time, was questioned about those remarks by NBC's Kristen Welker. He accused the interviewer of “trying to twist this thing.”

Explaining his earlier position, Rogers said his concern involved intelligence cooperation between Israel and Egypt and the possibility that the Muslim Brotherhood could undermine those relationships.

“We’re going to have to find a way to try to not sever that relationship,” Rogers said, referring to the intelligence ties. He added that the relationship had subsequently been severed.

El-Sayed has criticized the Muslim Brotherhood during his campaign, although he signed an open letter supporting Mohamed Morsi in 2012. Morsi became Egypt's president that year with the support of the organization.

Elsewhere in the Senate contests, New Hampshire's race has featured a dispute over campaign signage for Republican nominee John E. Sununu, who held the state's Senate seat from 2003 to 2009. He is seeking to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.

Democratic nominee Rep. Chris Pappas suggested that his opponent's use of the Sununu surname without his first name on some signs could confuse voters. John Sununu and his younger brother, former four-term Gov. Chris Sununu, rejected that suggestion.

“Look, if people thought they were voting for me, my brother would be up by 30 points. Come on,” Chris Sununu said in an interview with CNN.

Chris Sununu also said his older brother had not asked him to campaign alongside him. Political observers in New Hampshire have noted that the brothers have not appeared together publicly during the campaign.

Polling has shown Pappas leading by several points. Republicans are seeking to win the seat as they try to prevent Democrats from gaining the four seats needed to secure a Senate majority.

Republicans are also confronting competitive House races in Texas and Pennsylvania, according to new polling. House Speaker Mike Johnson acknowledged that gasoline prices remain too high, saying there was “more work to be done” in an interview on “Fox News Sunday.” He also argued that polling showing Republicans trailing in key races was wrong.

In Iowa, Republican Senate candidate Ashley Hinson has continued to distance herself from Trump's handling of Russia and Iran while campaigning alongside the president. Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek, her opponent in the race for the state's open Senate seat, welcomed Trump's visit to Iowa.

Meanwhile, Alaska Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola rescheduled campaign events after sustaining minor injuries in a car accident. In Texas, Fort Worth's Republican mayor backed the Democratic candidate opposing Republican Bo French in the Texas Railroad Commission race.