Mehdi Hasan criticised Fox News after host Jesse Watters said it was “kind of silly that you have an FBI agent running against a Muslim” while discussing Michigan’s Senate race.In a post on X on October 22, 2026, Hasan wrote,“Fox racism on display as ever.”Media Matters for America published the segment as well, identifying it as part of the programme’s October 22, 2026 edition. Watters was discussing Republican candidate Mike Rogers and his contest with Abdul El-Sayed when he made the comment.Mehdi Hasan responds to Jesse Watters’ remarks about the Michigan raceAccording to Media Matters for America, Jesse Watters argued that Abdul El-Sayed had spent the month defending himself against allegations that he was a terrorist rather than focusing on policy issues. He also criticised El-Sayed’s positions on healthcare, inflation and education.The exchange was part of a broader discussion about the candidates’ debate performances and campaign messaging. Watters argued that Rogers had presented a stronger position on education and said El-Sayed had not adequately addressed issues such as the auto industry and defence contractors in Michigan.Watters also questioned El-Sayed’s ability to provide specific policy proposals and said the media viewed him as a threat to the country. He then said,“It’s kind of silly that you have an FBI agent running against a Muslim."Hasan’s post characterised the exchange as an example of racism on Fox News. There has been no statement from Jesse Watters regarding Mehdi Hasan's remarks at the time of press.Read More: "He has the nuclear codes": Mehdi Hasan calls it "insanity" as Trump opens up about his cognitive test resultsWhat to know about the Michigan Senate race between Mike Rogers and Abdul El-SayedAccording to NBC News’ Michigan election page, updated October 23, 2026, Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed are competing for Michigan’s US Senate seat in the November 3, 2026, election. The seat is one of the state’s two Senate positions, with the winner due to serve a six-year term.Rogers is listed as the Republican candidate, while El-Sayed is listed as the Democratic candidate.The Wall Street Journal @WSJLINKDemocrat Abdul El-Sayed and former GOP Rep. Mike Rogers clashed Wednesday evening over foreign policy, immigration and healthcare in their second and final debate in the race for U.S. Senate in Michigan.NBC News’ election page also reported that Michigan had 8.37 million registered voters, with 988,455 mail-in and early in-person votes cast as of October 23. That represented 12% of registered voters, according to data provided by TargetSmart.Read More: "We've normalised this": Mehdi Hasan reacts after Trump claims Ilhan Omar should go to jail & criticizes Somalia