But the resurfaced statements have raised questions about what he meant by that denial and whether he was referring to current organizational connections or his family’s historical political activities.
A National Television Interview Brings the Controversy Into Focus
During an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press, moderator Kristen Welker questioned El-Sayed about allegations involving the Muslim Brotherhood.
His initial response was unequivocal.
“No,” he replied when asked whether he or his family had connections to the organization.
Welker sought additional clarification.
“No, you don’t have any ties, and your family doesn’t?”
“No,” El-Sayed repeated.
The Democratic candidate characterized the allegations as Islamophobic attacks associated with his Republican opponent, Mike Rogers.
However, the controversy also involves statements attributed to El-Sayed’s own half-sister, Eman Abdelhadi, a University of Chicago professor.
Those statements concern family history dating back decades, rather than documented evidence that El-Sayed personally participated in Muslim Brotherhood activities.
That distinction is central to understanding the dispute.
His Half-Sister’s Statements Describe an Earlier Generation
The questions surrounding El-Sayed’s family emerged from social media posts attributed to Abdelhadi in 2012 and 2013.
One post described a conversation with her mother about political activism during her university years in Egypt.
“Had an amazing talk with my mom about her activism in the Muslim Brotherhood during the early 70s while she was in college #respect.”
Their mother, Fatten Elkomy, reportedly attended Alexandria University in Egypt during a period when Islamist political movements were active on university campuses.
Another statement attributed to Abdelhadi described her family as having “long been MB”.
That comment suggested a historical family association with the Brotherhood, although the precise meaning of membership, activism, or political sympathy was not established by the wording alone.
A third post, attributed to Abdelhadi in 2013, came during a particularly turbulent period in Egyptian politics.
Following the military removal of President Mohamed Morsi, whose political movement emerged from the Muslim Brotherhood, Egyptian authorities launched a sweeping crackdown on Brotherhood members and supporters.
Abdelhadi reportedly wrote:
“Praying for all my family that supports the #MB in #Egypt. Lie low, stay safe.”
The statement appears to describe relatives who supported the Brotherhood during the Egyptian political crisis.
It does not, by itself, establish that El-Sayed was among those relatives or that he maintained an organizational relationship with the movement.
Nevertheless, the posts have become central to the debate over the scope of his television denial.
Trump Administration Designations Add New Significance
The controversy has attracted additional attention because of the Trump administration’s actions against specific Muslim Brotherhood organizations.
In January 2026, the administration announced terrorism-related designations targeting Brotherhood branches in Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon, citing alleged involvement in supporting Hamas and other militant activities.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described the Brotherhood as having “a long history of terrorist activities”.
The designations carry significant financial and legal consequences for the organizations and individuals specifically covered by them.
They do not automatically apply to every person who has historically supported the Brotherhood or has relatives associated with it.
That distinction matters in El-Sayed’s case.
His family’s reported history involves Egypt, but the available statements do not establish that the Senate candidate himself belonged to a designated organization, financed one, or engaged in prohibited activities.
The controversy instead concerns how his family’s historical political involvement should be characterized today.
