Abdul El-Sayed speaks out amid VP Vance's visit to Michigan

Ahead of Vice President JD Vance's visit to Michigan on Monday, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed says his message is the same — he's focused on affordability and access to healthcare. 

El-Sayed's opponent, Mike Rogers, accompanied Vance in Sterling Heights during a campaign event hosted by super PAC MAGA Inc.

"There's not a command he (Mike Rogers) won't 'roger' from Donald Trump or a corporation that's willing to pay into his campaigns," said El-Sayed.

El-Sayed, who was joined by state Rep. Mallory McMorrow, said he thinks if Rogers wins, he will rubber-stamp President Trump's policies. 

"His (Rogers') reason for running was that Donald Trump called him and told him to do it. In fact, there's nothing that Donald Trump will call him and tell him to do that he won't willingly do," he said. 

El-Sayed has faced some renewed scrutiny after posts he made about 9/11 resurfaced. Those posts called for equal public outrage about the COVID-19 pandemic as the attacks on 9/11.  

"What happened on 9/11 was a disaster. It was a terrible attack on our country, and our responsibility is also to think about how do we build an America where we are protecting our servicemen and women from being asked to fight wars that we have no business fighting, that ultimately end up doing harm to people," El-Sayed told CBS News Detroit. 

El-Sayed reiterated his message to voters — a focus on affordability, Medicare for All and the removal of money from politics.

"We're going everywhere and talking to everybody, and I think that's how you continue to build, and you know, talking about what Mike Rogers would not do," he said.