Case

Mike Rogers’s 9/11 accusation against Abdul El-Sayed

August 5, 2026

Published by The Dispute Index editorial teamPublished Updated

Mike Rogers attributed a belief about 9/11 to Abdul El-Sayed based on his association with Hasan Piker. El-Sayed rejected that belief and challenged the premise that campaigning together establishes agreement.

Question in dispute

Appearing at a political event with Hasan Piker does not establish agreement with all of Piker’s statements.

Abdul El-Sayed testifying at a United States Senate committee hearing in 2024

Overview

After Michigan’s August 2026 Senate primary, Mike Rogers asserted that Abdul El-Sayed believed America deserved the September 11 attacks. His campaign defended that accusation by citing El-Sayed’s association with Hasan Piker and reluctance to disavow him. El-Sayed had explicitly rejected justifying 9/11 and argued that appearing with a person did not imply agreement. He described Rogers’s attacks as an effort to divide voters through Islamophobia. Pod Save America hosts Jon Favreau and Dan Pfeiffer later debated the strategy and construction of a related Republican ad without endorsing its factual claims.

Rogers’s August 5 campaign statement (opens in a new tab) concerns a belief he attributed to El-Sayed, not a quotation spoken by El-Sayed. The statement associated with Hasan Piker must not be reassigned to a different speaker. In his earlier Fox & Friends interview (opens in a new tab), El-Sayed expressly rejected justifying 9/11 while defending his choice of campaign company.

The competing argument concerns whether declining to disavow an ally warrants an adverse inference about political judgment or beliefs. El-Sayed’s August 5 response (opens in a new tab) called the attacks divisive; the campaign’s August 6 explanation is separately attributed to spokesperson Alyssa Brouillet. This is distinct from DI’s cases about Piker’s other statements and El-Sayed’s Temple Israel remarks. The displayed publication date is August 7, 2026. The April interview is earlier context, not a response to the later Rogers statement. Day-only dates do not establish a precise time of day.

Image: El-Sayed testifying before the U.S. Senate HELP Committee in 2024, not during these campaign exchanges. Public-domain U.S. Senate photograph via Wikimedia Commons (opens in a new tab), cropped by Dispute Index.

In an August 5 Pod Save America episode (opens in a new tab), Jon Favreau and Dan Pfeiffer played an NRSC ad that used Piker’s 9/11 remark and analyzed its campaign strategy. Their statements are classified as mixed or conditional assessments of the ad’s construction and possible effectiveness, not as endorsements of the allegation or direct verdicts on Rogers’s separate attribution.

Claims

Claims separate what was said from what is contested. Follow each source for the original wording and context.

What was said

What's disputed

Arguments

  1. Documented position

    Mike Rogers’s August 5 statement and Alyssa Brouillet’s August 6 campaign response.

    Campaign associations can be evidence of political judgment

    Rogers’s campaign treats continued association with Piker, coupled with reluctance to disavow him, as grounds for an adverse assessment of El-Sayed. The argument asks voters to judge the company a candidate chooses as well as the candidate’s individual statements.

    Related claim

    Abdul El-Sayed believes the United States deserved the September 11 attacks.

    Limit of this argument

    A judgment about an association is not proof of a particular belief. El-Sayed explicitly rejected justifying 9/11, so the stronger attribution in Rogers’s statement requires evidence beyond co-appearance.

    Sources

  1. Documented position

    Abdul El-Sayed, April 7 Fox & Friends interview and August 5 All In interview.

    An explicit rejection limits what association can establish

    El-Sayed distinguishes outreach to Piker’s audience from agreement with Piker’s statements. His recorded rejection of justifying the attacks directly contradicts the belief attributed to him; his later response challenges using his identity and associations to divide voters.

    Related claim

    Abdul El-Sayed believes the United States deserved the September 11 attacks.

    Limit of this argument

    Rejecting that attribution does not prohibit criticism of his decision to campaign with Piker or require voters to find the association acceptable.

    Sources

  2. Documented position

    Mehdi Hasan, in his September 1, 2026 Guardian opinion column.

    Scrutinize both candidates’ associations by the same standard

    Hasan argues that attention to El-Sayed’s association with Piker has displaced scrutiny of Rogers’s own allies. He contrasts Piker’s campaign appearances with Lorenzo Sewell’s formal role on Rogers’s faith leadership team and calls for comparable questioning of Rogers about Sewell’s rhetoric. His objection concerns unequal scrutiny, not a direct assessment of the specific 9/11 belief attributed to El-Sayed.

    Limit of this argument

    Hasan explicitly says he is not excusing Piker’s statements or opposing scrutiny of Piker and El-Sayed’s decision to appear with him. His comparison does not itself resolve Rogers’s 9/11 accusation.

    Sources

Subject's response

Response from Mike Rogers

Mike Rogers

In his September 10 convention speech, Rogers criticized El-Sayed for campaigning with Piker and portrayed their association as sympathy for extremism.

Read the statement and sources

Mike Rogers

Rogers attributed support for the idea that America deserved 9/11 to El-Sayed and used it to argue that his opponent was an extremist.

Read the statement and sources
Editorial labelChallenged the characterizationAbdul El-SayedResponding to attacks from Rogers and other Republicans after the primary, El-Sayed characterized their approach as divisive and anti-Muslim rather than an accurate account of his priorities.Role at the time: Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan, interviewed by Jacob Soboroff on All In
"So they’re going to use Islamophobia because their ideas are tired."
Context, editorial note, and sources

Responding to

Abdul El-Sayed believes the United States deserved the September 11 attacks.

Responding to attacks from Rogers and other Republicans after the primary, El-Sayed characterized their approach as divisive and anti-Muslim rather than an accurate account of his priorities.

Why we used this label

He directly challenged how opponents were presenting him; the characterization of their tactics is attributed to El-Sayed, not asserted by DI as a motive finding.

Before the statement

Rogers had issued his 9/11 accusation after the primary. The interview also addressed other Republican criticism, so the selected quotation is not exclusive to the 9/11 claim.

After the statement

El-Sayed emphasized shared concerns about family welfare, health care and economic conditions, and challenged Rogers to debates. His earlier explicit rejection of justifying 9/11 is recorded separately.

El-Sayed responds to Rogers’s attacks in his August 5 All In interviewOriginal interview embedded at top, dated August 5; paragraphs quoting El-Sayed on division and Islamophobia
PolitiFact documents Rogers’s accusation and his campaign’s supporting rationaleAlyssa Brouillet quotation; linked full April 7 event at 3:12:12; sources identify August 6 campaign email exchange
Editorial labelMixed or conditionalAbdul El-SayedEl-Sayed rejected justifying the attacks but defended appearing with Piker, separating agreement with a statement from engaging an ally’s audience.Role at the time: Democratic U.S. Senate candidate in Michigan, interviewed on Fox & Friends
"Of course I don’t think 9/11 was justified."
Context, editorial note, and sources

Responding to

Appearing at a political event with Hasan Piker does not establish agreement with all of Piker’s statements.

El-Sayed rejected justifying the attacks but defended appearing with Piker, separating agreement with a statement from engaging an ally’s audience.

Why we used this label

He combined rejection of the underlying sentiment with a defense of the campaign appearance; neither unconditional endorsement nor complete disavowal describes both parts.

Before the statement

He was asked about Piker’s controversial remarks before their scheduled Michigan campaign events.

After the statement

He criticized demands to avoid an appearance because of disagreement. This interview predates Rogers’s August accusation and is included as contrary contextual evidence.

El-Sayed rejects justifying 9/11 while defending campaigning with Hasan PikerOpening interview quotations about 9/11 and appearing with someone without agreeing; embedded video 6392681742112

Response record

Other responses

8 latest responses. Dates: April 7, 2026 to September 10, 2026

Choose any combination. Selected filters stay active until you remove them or choose All responses.

3 responses on this page

  1. Editorial labelCondemnedMike RogersIn his September 10 convention speech, Rogers criticized El-Sayed for campaigning with Piker and portrayed their association as sympathy for extremism.Role at the time: Republican U.S. Senate nominee speaking at the party's September 10 convention
    "Together, they attack America, excuse extremism, and treat our country like the villain."
    Context, editorial note, and sources

    Responding to

    Response to the case

    In his September 10 convention speech, Rogers criticized El-Sayed for campaigning with Piker and portrayed their association as sympathy for extremism.

    Why we used this label

    Rogers directly condemns El-Sayed's association with Piker. In this speech the 9/11-deserved sentiment is attributed to Piker, unlike Rogers's earlier direct assertion about El-Sayed's belief; that difference is preserved without inferring a retraction.

    Before the statement

    Rogers recalled the September 11 attacks, then identified Piker as the person who thought America deserved them. He described Piker as El-Sayed's running mate, a rhetorical label rather than a literal electoral ticket.

    After the statement

    He went on to make separate campaign-finance and Temple Israel allegations. El-Sayed's prior rejection of justifying 9/11 and the campaign's September 10 rebuttal remain distinct records. September 10 is verified; 12:00 UTC is a date-only placeholder, not the speech time.

    Mike Rogers's full September 10 convention speech - Mike RogersFull campaign-published transcript; passage beginning That's why I never imagined; later Temple Israel passage beginning We saw that tested
    Detroit News records Rogers's convention criticism and the El-Sayed campaign's replyParagraph beginning Campaign spokesman Cole Wozniak said in a Sept. 10 statement, and the following paragraph
  2. Editorial labelCondemnedMike RogersRogers attributed support for the idea that America deserved 9/11 to El-Sayed and used it to argue that his opponent was an extremist.Role at the time: Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan, issuing an official campaign statement
    "Never in a million years did I think that I would be running against someone who believes America deserved 9/11."
    Context, editorial note, and sources

    Responding to

    Abdul El-Sayed believes the United States deserved the September 11 attacks.

    Rogers attributed support for the idea that America deserved 9/11 to El-Sayed and used it to argue that his opponent was an extremist.

    Why we used this label

    The accusation is an explicit adverse judgment about El-Sayed’s beliefs and fitness for office.

    Before the statement

    The campaign release followed the Michigan primary and criticized El-Sayed across multiple policy areas.

    After the statement

    The release did not quote El-Sayed endorsing the attacks. His campaign’s later explanation relied on association and reluctance to disavow Piker, which must be distinguished from El-Sayed’s own recorded denial.

    Mike Rogers’s August 5 statement following the Michigan Senate primary - Mike RogersParagraph beginning with Rogers’s counterterrorism experience and ending with the accusation about America deserving 9/11
  3. Editorial labelCondemnedJon FavreauDiscussing the NRSC ad that linked El-Sayed to Piker’s 9/11 remark, Favreau questioned mixing a Muslim-extremism portrayal with a tax attack. He argued that a coherent economic-extremism argument would need different supporting material.Role at the time: Pod Save America co-host discussing the general-election attack strategy
    "I think you got to pick one."
    Context, editorial note, and sources

    Responding to

    Response to the case

    Discussing the NRSC ad that linked El-Sayed to Piker’s 9/11 remark, Favreau questioned mixing a Muslim-extremism portrayal with a tax attack. He argued that a coherent economic-extremism argument would need different supporting material.

    Why we used this label

    He criticizes how the attack is constructed while acknowledging why campaigns combine unpopular associations. The classification concerns his qualified assessment of the ad, not endorsement or rejection of the belief Rogers attributed to El-Sayed. The wording and speaker sequence were checked against the official full audio.

    Before the statement

    The hosts played an NRSC ad containing Piker’s statement and an allegation that El-Sayed refused to disavow it. Favreau mocked its combination of a religious-extremism portrayal and a tax message; Pfeiffer argued the combination could work.

    After the statement

    Favreau proposed keeping the economic attack coherent, then the discussion turned to El-Sayed’s strategy against Rogers. He did not explicitly endorse the ad’s allegations or give a direct factual assessment of Rogers’s separate statement. This entry is not an explicit refusal to answer and is not a Pod Save the World reaction.

    Bonus: Abdul El-Sayed Wins in Michigan feat. Bernie SandersOfficial full audio 20:06–24:23; Pfeiffer at 22:18–22:21 and Favreau at 22:21–22:23
    Automated transcript of Pod Save America’s August 5 El-Sayed bonus episode20:40–24:33; Favreau at 21:25, 21:39 and 23:04; Pfeiffer at 21:37, 22:13 and 23:37
    Podscripts transcript of Pod Save America’s El-Sayed bonus episodeNRSC ad discussion; block starting 00:20:57 contains Pfeiffer’s qualification and Favreau’s immediate response

Timeline

4 timeline entries on this page. Dates: April 7, 2026 to September 10, 2026

  1. Source release

    Rogers campaign publishes a collection of 9/11-related testimonials

    A September 10 campaign release collected selected statements and linked videos from Jon Turnbull, David Beamer, David and Tricia Nadeau, and Joaquin Guerrero. The videos were issued between September 8 and 10; this event records the compilation's publication, not their recording dates or independent endorsements of every Rogers allegation. No individual video quotation is newly classified here without a full context check. The timestamp is the compilation's verified publication time, not the individual videos' recording times.

    Sources

    Rogers campaign releases a collection of 9/11-related testimonials - Mike RogersSeptember 10 release with named sections for Jon Turnbull, David Beamer, David and Tricia Nadeau, and Joaquin Guerrero
  2. Claim

    Rogers issues the accusation; El-Sayed challenges the attacks

    Rogers’s primary-response statement attributes a belief about 9/11 to El-Sayed. El-Sayed’s evening interview attacks his opponents’ framing as divisive.

    Sources

    Mike Rogers’s August 5 statement following the Michigan Senate primary - Mike RogersParagraph beginning with Rogers’s counterterrorism experience and ending with the accusation about America deserving 9/11
    El-Sayed responds to Rogers’s attacks in his August 5 All In interviewOriginal interview embedded at top, dated August 5; paragraphs quoting El-Sayed on division and Islamophobia
  3. Other

    Earlier context: El-Sayed rejects justifying 9/11

    Before campaigning with Piker, El-Sayed rejects the underlying sentiment while defending appearing with people whose views he does not share.

    Sources

    El-Sayed rejects justifying 9/11 while defending campaigning with Hasan PikerOpening interview quotations about 9/11 and appearing with someone without agreeing; embedded video 6392681742112

Sources

Mike Rogers’s August 5 statement following the Michigan Senate primaryMike Rogers

Official statement

Mike Rogers’s August 5 statement following the Michigan Senate primary

Read source (opens in a new tab)

Relevant passage: Paragraph beginning with Rogers’s counterterrorism experience and ending with the accusation about America deserving 9/11

About this source

Complete campaign statement retrieved. The accusation concerns El-Sayed’s supposed belief; it does not supply a quotation from him endorsing the attacks. Rogers’s campaign subsequently defended the inference by pointing to El-Sayed’s association with Hasan Piker. Other allegations in the release are outside this case.

Source details
Mike Rogers’s August 5 statement following the Michigan Senate primary (opens in a new tab) - Mike RogersParagraph beginning with Rogers’s counterterrorism experience and ending with the accusation about America deserving 9/11
Author
Mike Rogers; campaign release posted by Hinson Peed
Published
Accessed
The media’s Hasan Piker obsession is letting Republican Mike Rogers off the hook

Analysis

The media’s Hasan Piker obsession is letting Republican Mike Rogers off the hook

Read source (opens in a new tab)

Relevant passage: Concluding discussion of consistent scrutiny of both candidates, including Hasan’s explicit qualification about Piker

About this source

Original Guardian opinion column, read in full. Hasan contrasts scrutiny of El-Sayed’s association with Piker with coverage of Rogers’s ties to Lorenzo Sewell. He expressly preserves scrutiny of Piker and El-Sayed. This is evidence of Hasan’s argument, not independent verification of each allegation. The date is recorded at day precision; no publication time is asserted.

Source details
The media’s Hasan Piker obsession is letting Republican Mike Rogers off the hook (opens in a new tab)Concluding discussion of consistent scrutiny of both candidates, including Hasan’s explicit qualification about Piker
Author
Mehdi Hasan
Published
Accessed
Rogers campaign releases a collection of 9/11-related testimonialsMike Rogers

Official statement

Rogers campaign releases a collection of 9/11-related testimonials

Read source (opens in a new tab)

Relevant passage: September 10 release with named sections for Jon Turnbull, David Beamer, David and Tricia Nadeau, and Joaquin Guerrero

About this source

Original campaign release dated September 10 compiling selected quotations and links to videos published between September 8 and 10. This supports the dated compilation/publication action only. Recording times and full audiovisual context for the individual videos have not been established; the quotations are not being made into separate reaction records. Rejection of the claim that America deserved 9/11 does not by itself establish agreement that El-Sayed personally made or holds that claim. The compilation's publication timestamp is verified from the campaign page metadata, not the individual videos' recording times.

Source details
Rogers campaign releases a collection of 9/11-related testimonials (opens in a new tab) - Mike RogersSeptember 10 release with named sections for Jon Turnbull, David Beamer, David and Tricia Nadeau, and Joaquin Guerrero
Author
Hinson Peed for Rogers for Senate
Published
Accessed
Detroit News records Rogers's convention criticism and the El-Sayed campaign's reply

Reporting

Detroit News records Rogers's convention criticism and the El-Sayed campaign's reply

Read source (opens in a new tab)

Relevant passage: Paragraph beginning Campaign spokesman Cole Wozniak said in a Sept. 10 statement, and the following paragraph

About this source

Complete original reporting dated September 10, displaying an update time of 8:15 p.m. Eastern. Only the calendar publication date is asserted; 12:00 UTC is a date-only placeholder, not the original publication time. The reporter explicitly dates Cole Wozniak's campaign statement September 10. His reply is recorded in his campaign-spokesperson capacity, not as a personal quotation by El-Sayed. The report also preserves El-Sayed's earlier rejection of justifying 9/11; that earlier context is not a newly made response.

Source details
Detroit News records Rogers's convention criticism and the El-Sayed campaign's reply (opens in a new tab)Paragraph beginning Campaign spokesman Cole Wozniak said in a Sept. 10 statement, and the following paragraph
Author
Melissa Nann Burke
Published
Accessed
Mike Rogers's full September 10 convention speechMike Rogers

Official statement

Mike Rogers's full September 10 convention speech

Read source (opens in a new tab)

Relevant passage: Full campaign-published transcript; passage beginning That's why I never imagined; later Temple Israel passage beginning We saw that tested

About this source

The campaign publishes the complete speech text and links its full recording at https://youtu.be/caqS8edf8p4. The selected wording was checked against the published text, not independently transcribed from the video. Rogers attributes the 9/11-deserved sentiment to Piker and criticizes El-Sayed's association with him; his running-mate language is rhetorical. A separate passage renews the accusation that El-Sayed excused the Temple Israel attack. Other allegations about campaign financing are outside these position records and are not established here. The source publication timestamp is verified from the campaign page metadata; it is not the speech's recording time.

Source details
Mike Rogers's full September 10 convention speech (opens in a new tab) - Mike RogersFull campaign-published transcript; passage beginning That's why I never imagined; later Temple Israel passage beginning We saw that tested
Author
Mike Rogers; published by Alyssa Brouillet for Rogers for Senate
Published
Accessed
Automated transcript of Pod Save America’s August 5 El-Sayed bonus episode

Archived source

Automated transcript of Pod Save America’s August 5 El-Sayed bonus episode

Read source (opens in a new tab)

Relevant passage: 20:40–24:33; Favreau at 21:25, 21:39 and 23:04; Pfeiffer at 21:37, 22:13 and 23:37

About this source

Complete automatically generated transcript with speaker labels and timestamps, used to locate the exchange. The original publisher corroborates episode identity, date and host names, and a separate Podscripts transcript corroborates the passage with different advertising offsets. The exact wording and speaker sequence were subsequently checked against the official full audio. The ad’s allegations are not the hosts’ own assertions; Pfeiffer’s assessment of persuasive effectiveness is not endorsement of their truth. The page’s automatically generated summaries and topic labels are not used as evidence.

Source details
Automated transcript of Pod Save America’s August 5 El-Sayed bonus episode (opens in a new tab)20:40–24:33; Favreau at 21:25, 21:39 and 23:04; Pfeiffer at 21:37, 22:13 and 23:37
Author
Musixmatch Podcasts; original program: Pod Save America
Accessed
Podscripts transcript of Pod Save America’s El-Sayed bonus episode

Archived source

Podscripts transcript of Pod Save America’s El-Sayed bonus episode

Read source (opens in a new tab)

Relevant passage: NRSC ad discussion; block starting 00:20:57 contains Pfeiffer’s qualification and Favreau’s immediate response

About this source

A second accessible automated transcript of the full episode corroborates the substance and short quotations, apart from rendering Favreau’s contracted wording as “got to” instead of “gotta.” It lists August 6, while the original publisher dates the episode August 5 because the official feed release crossed midnight UTC. Advertising offsets differ from Musixmatch. The exact wording and speaker sequence were subsequently checked against the official full audio; this transcript remains a discovery and locator aid.

Source details
Podscripts transcript of Pod Save America’s El-Sayed bonus episode (opens in a new tab)NRSC ad discussion; block starting 00:20:57 contains Pfeiffer’s qualification and Favreau’s immediate response
Author
Podscripts; original program: Pod Save America
Accessed
Bonus: Abdul El-Sayed Wins in Michigan feat. Bernie Sanders

Analysis

Bonus: Abdul El-Sayed Wins in Michigan feat. Bernie Sanders

Read source (opens in a new tab)

Relevant passage: Official full audio 20:06–24:23; Pfeiffer at 22:18–22:21 and Favreau at 22:21–22:23

About this source

The original publisher dates this bonus Pod Save America episode August 5 and identifies Jon Favreau and Dan Pfeiffer as its hosts. Crooked Media’s page embeds the complete official Audioboom feed. The relevant section was checked directly against that audio after first being located through two separately generated transcripts. Tommy Vietor appears in an advertisement in one transcript, not as a participant in the exchange. This is not a Pod Save the World episode. The hosts assess the strategy of an NRSC ad that includes Piker’s 9/11 statement; they do not endorse the ad’s allegations or issue a factual verdict on Rogers’s separate assertion about El-Sayed’s beliefs.

Source details
Bonus: Abdul El-Sayed Wins in Michigan feat. Bernie Sanders (opens in a new tab)Official full audio 20:06–24:23; Pfeiffer at 22:18–22:21 and Favreau at 22:21–22:23
Author
Pod Save America / Crooked Media; Jon Favreau and Dan Pfeiffer
Published
Accessed
PolitiFact documents Rogers’s accusation and his campaign’s supporting rationale

Reporting

PolitiFact documents Rogers’s accusation and his campaign’s supporting rationale

Read source (opens in a new tab)

Relevant passage: Alyssa Brouillet quotation; linked full April 7 event at 3:12:12; sources identify August 6 campaign email exchange

About this source

Original reporting includes the campaign’s response to a request for its evidence. Brouillet’s statement is a direct quotation from that exchange, not an inference from silence. The report distinguishes El-Sayed’s explicit rejection of justifying 9/11 from his refusal to disavow an ally. DI records that distinction without adopting PolitiFact’s rating as the case’s purpose.

Source details
PolitiFact documents Rogers’s accusation and his campaign’s supporting rationale (opens in a new tab)Alyssa Brouillet quotation; linked full April 7 event at 3:12:12; sources identify August 6 campaign email exchange
Author
PolitiFact
Published
Accessed
El-Sayed responds to Rogers’s attacks in his August 5 All In interview

Interview

El-Sayed responds to Rogers’s attacks in his August 5 All In interview

Read source (opens in a new tab)

Relevant passage: Original interview embedded at top, dated August 5; paragraphs quoting El-Sayed on division and Islamophobia

About this source

The broadcaster embeds the full August 5 interview and quotes El-Sayed’s response; its accompanying article was published August 6. The YouTube mirror is ZxcOGYPE16w. Automated extraction of that mirror returned an incomplete caption manifest, so no claim of a complete independently checked YouTube transcript is made. The broadcaster’s text and PolitiFact corroborate the response and date.

Source details
El-Sayed responds to Rogers’s attacks in his August 5 All In interview (opens in a new tab)Original interview embedded at top, dated August 5; paragraphs quoting El-Sayed on division and Islamophobia
Author
Allison Detzel / MS NOW; interviewee: Abdul El-Sayed
Published
Accessed
El-Sayed rejects justifying 9/11 while defending campaigning with Hasan Piker

Interview

El-Sayed rejects justifying 9/11 while defending campaigning with Hasan Piker

Read source (opens in a new tab)

Relevant passage: Opening interview quotations about 9/11 and appearing with someone without agreeing; embedded video 6392681742112

About this source

Original broadcaster’s account and embedded interview. El-Sayed rejects justification of 9/11 and argues that sharing an appearance need not signal agreement. This predates Rogers’s August accusation and is included as relevant context, not presented as a response made afterward.

Source details
El-Sayed rejects justifying 9/11 while defending campaigning with Hasan Piker (opens in a new tab)Opening interview quotations about 9/11 and appearing with someone without agreeing; embedded video 6392681742112
Author
Fox News / Fox & Friends; interviewee: Abdul El-Sayed
Published
Accessed

Corrections

(1)

Corrections address errors in our reporting or labels. When a speaker changes their position, we add a separate statement and link it to the earlier one.

Reporting correction

Correction to: Statement by Dan Pfeiffer

Previous language
Private review: exact audio wording still requires a listening check.
Corrected language
The wording and speaker sequence were checked against the official full audio.

Removed a stale internal review note after checking the quoted passage against Crooked Media’s official full audio. The quote and classification did not change.

This corrects our account of what happened.

Bonus: Abdul El-Sayed Wins in Michigan feat. Bernie Sanders (opens in a new tab)Official full audio 20:06–24:23; Pfeiffer at 22:18–22:21 and Favreau at 22:21–22:23

The original publisher dates this bonus Pod Save America episode August 5 and identifies Jon Favreau and Dan Pfeiffer as its hosts. Crooked Media’s page embeds the complete official Audioboom feed. The relevant section was checked directly against that audio after first being located through two separately generated transcripts. Tommy Vietor appears in an advertisement in one transcript, not as a participant in the exchange. This is not a Pod Save the World episode. The hosts assess the strategy of an NRSC ad that includes Piker’s 9/11 statement; they do not endorse the ad’s allegations or issue a factual verdict on Rogers’s separate assertion about El-Sayed’s beliefs.

Podscripts transcript of Pod Save America’s El-Sayed bonus episode (opens in a new tab)NRSC ad discussion; block starting 00:20:57 contains Pfeiffer’s qualification and Favreau’s immediate response

A second accessible automated transcript of the full episode corroborates the substance and short quotations, apart from rendering Favreau’s contracted wording as “got to” instead of “gotta.” It lists August 6, while the original publisher dates the episode August 5 because the official feed release crossed midnight UTC. Advertising offsets differ from Musixmatch. The exact wording and speaker sequence were subsequently checked against the official full audio; this transcript remains a discovery and locator aid.

Automated transcript of Pod Save America’s August 5 El-Sayed bonus episode (opens in a new tab)20:40–24:33; Favreau at 21:25, 21:39 and 23:04; Pfeiffer at 21:37, 22:13 and 23:37

Complete automatically generated transcript with speaker labels and timestamps, used to locate the exchange. The original publisher corroborates episode identity, date and host names, and a separate Podscripts transcript corroborates the passage with different advertising offsets. The exact wording and speaker sequence were subsequently checked against the official full audio. The ad’s allegations are not the hosts’ own assertions; Pfeiffer’s assessment of persuasive effectiveness is not endorsement of their truth. The page’s automatically generated summaries and topic labels are not used as evidence.