The comment came as Carlson and Enjeti discussed Michigan’s political landscape and Rogers’ unsuccessful 2024 Senate campaign.
Enjeti pointed out that Rogers had already suffered a major defeat in Michigan despite Trump carrying the state during the same election.
“And so that’s the candidate,” Enjeti said. “The guy, a literal loser who lost when Donald Trump won the state, just to show you how much of a headwind he had at his back.”
Carlson then escalated his criticism, portraying Rogers as fundamentally out of step with the populist movement that has reshaped the Republican Party.
“He’s basically a tool of Israel and the intelligence agencies,” Carlson said. “How would you run someone like that? I don’t even—it doesn’t even make sense.”
The discussion took an even more surprising turn when Carlson and Enjeti began examining the campaign of El-Sayed, a progressive Democrat with a long history of left-wing political positions.
El-Sayed previously ran for governor of Michigan and has been associated with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. His political background includes support for policies that have placed him firmly on the left, including positions on policing and other cultural issues.
Enjeti acknowledged that history during the discussion.
“He doesn’t call himself DSA. He’s a full-blown leftist,” Enjeti said.
“I’ve watched his ideological evolution, who you could easily call, as AOC said, was, quote, ‘woke one,’ right? Woke one where he said defund the police on a podcast. He said all kinds of silly things about football and masculinity. Standard leftist sh*t.”
Carlson also pointed to other positions associated with El-Sayed.
“Hates Mackinac Island. He’s for vaccine mandates.”
Yet despite openly acknowledging El-Sayed’s progressive background, the conversation focused heavily on the Democrat’s apparent shift in campaign messaging.
According to Enjeti, El-Sayed has increasingly embraced patriotic imagery and populist language that traditionally have been associated with Trump and the America First movement.
“I watch his campaign now. It’s America First,” Enjeti said.
“He stands in front of a giant American flag. It’s almost Trumpian,” he continued.
Carlson immediately pushed the description even further.
“Well, it’s literally Trumpian.”
The exchange highlights what could become one of the more unusual dynamics of Michigan’s Senate contest.
El-Sayed remains a progressive Democrat, but his campaign appears to be making a deliberate effort to communicate with voters using themes of nationalism, economic populism and opposition to establishment politics.
That strategy could create a difficult political environment for Rogers, particularly if voters who supported Trump are skeptical of the Republican nominee.
Enjeti went so far as to predict that El-Sayed could ultimately emerge victorious.
“If I had to bet, which I don’t, I would probably bet that he’ll win,” Enjeti said.
Carlson agreed.
“I would think so,” Carlson responded.
The apparent enthusiasm for El-Sayed is especially notable because the Democrat’s broader political agenda remains substantially different from the Republican platform associated with Trump.
His campaign continues to promote policies including Medicare for All, increased taxation on billionaire wealth, eliminating the Senate filibuster, expanded access to voting and progressive positions on LGBTQ+ issues.
Those proposals place El-Sayed firmly within the Democratic Party’s progressive camp, regardless of the patriotic imagery or populist rhetoric appearing in his campaign.
That disconnect is precisely what makes Carlson’s comments so striking.
Rather than treating El-Sayed’s America First-style messaging as a warning sign, Carlson appeared to view it as evidence that the Democrat had successfully adopted a political language that resonates with a growing number of voters.
At the same time, Carlson continued his aggressive attacks against Rogers.
“There’s no one who should be farther from a position of power than Mike Rogers,” Carlson said. “How did he get the Republican nomination for Senate?”
Carlson later described Rogers as “the AIPAC candidate,” while Enjeti praised El-Sayed for his willingness to challenge the pro-Israel lobbying group.
WATCH:
The comments underscore a growing divide within conservative and populist politics over what Republican candidates should look like in the post-Trump era.
For Carlson and others in the populist media sphere, simply carrying the Republican label may no longer be enough to earn support. Candidates are increasingly being judged on their positions regarding foreign policy, intelligence agencies, Israel, Washington’s political establishment and the broader America First movement.
Rogers’ endorsement from Trump could therefore become only one part of the equation in Michigan.
The larger question is whether Trump-aligned voters will rally behind the Republican nominee or whether dissatisfaction with Rogers could create an opening for a Democrat who has learned to package progressive policies in a more populist political style.
For now, Carlson’s message is unmistakable: he has little enthusiasm for Rogers and appears far more intrigued by what El-Sayed is doing on the campaign trail.
Whether Michigan voters ultimately respond the same way will be decided at the ballot box.
But with a high-profile conservative commentator openly dismissing Trump’s preferred Republican candidate while praising a progressive Democrat’s “Trumpian” messaging, Michigan’s Senate race has suddenly become far more complicated—and potentially far more unpredictable.
