Cruz Drops Bombshell in Senate

Senator Ted Cruz used a Senate hearing this week to claim that Michigan’s Democratic Senate nominee, Abdul El-Sayed, is tied to a Muslim Brotherhood network he says hides “in plain sight” across America.

Story Snapshot

Cruz told a Senate Judiciary subcommittee that El-Sayed is connected through family ties to a leader of “several brotherhood groups.”
Counterterrorism witness Kyle Shideler said El-Sayed’s father-in-law led two Brotherhood-linked organizations.
Reports say the father-in-law gave $300,000 to a super PAC backing El-Sayed’s Senate bid.
El-Sayed has denied similar claims before, and past news coverage called earlier versions unfounded.

Cruz Points to Family Ties During Senate Hearing

Senator Ted Cruz raised the claim at a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing focused on Muslim Brotherhood activity in the United States. Cruz said El-Sayed is the “son-in-law of a leading member of several brotherhood groups” and argued the network operates “in plain sight” through organizations most Americans see as ordinary civic or charity groups. The statement became public just as El-Sayed was winning Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary.

The hearing gave the claim an on-the-record moment inside Congress, something earlier versions of the allegation never had. That distinction matters because it moves the accusation from campaign attack ads into a formal government setting, even though no agency has issued a finding on the matter.

Counterterrorism Witness Details Father-in-Law’s Roles

Testifying at the same hearing, counterterrorism researcher Kyle Shideler said El-Sayed’s father-in-law, Tayeb Jukaku, has led two Brotherhood-linked groups. Shideler identified those groups as the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the founders committee of the Islamic Society of North America. He also named Emgage, a Muslim civic group, as part of the broader network he described.

Separate reporting says Jukaku served as president of the Michigan chapter from 2005 to 2010 and sat on the 20-member founding committee of the national group. The same reporting says Jukaku donated $300,000 to the largest political action committee supporting El-Sayed’s Senate run, and other outlets later put his total giving above $115,000 in direct contributions.

Allegations Echo Earlier Campaign Controversy

This is not the first time El-Sayed has faced Brotherhood-related claims. During Michigan’s 2018 governor race, Republican rival Patrick Colbeck said El-Sayed had led the Muslim Students Association at the University of Michigan and pointed to the same father-in-law’s board role as proof of a hidden connection. Other coverage says a 2012 pledge supporting Egyptian leader Mohamed Morsi, a Muslim Brotherhood figure, has also resurfaced this year as part of the renewed attacks.

Abdul Linked To Muslim Brotherhood Network!: Sen Ted Cruz Drops Shocking Claim About El-Sayedhttps://t.co/XdWvxmyUKx

— Cyber Avenger (@MsClaritea) August 6, 2026

El-Sayed pushed back directly when the Brotherhood claim came up on camera in 2018, denying any affiliation with the group. Voice of America and other outlets covering that race described the accusations as unfounded, and some Republican and Democratic officials at the time called them conspiracy theories.

No Formal Ruling, but Growing Political Weight

Nothing in the public record shows the Justice Department, Congress, or any ethics body has formally confirmed or rejected the allegations. What exists is a mix of hearing testimony, campaign-finance reporting, and years-old political disputes that keep resurfacing every time El-Sayed runs for higher office. For voters trying to sort fact from spin, the underlying donation records and organizational roles are documented, but a direct link to El-Sayed’s own beliefs or conduct has not been shown.