Since it's a Saturday and many of us are waiting for the sound of little hands knocking on our doors this evening, and little muffled mouths swathed in Halloween masks crying out, "Trick or treat!" here's something a little lighter.
Even though it is mite more casual, there is still a serious message underlying the clip in it on a battleground race in the midterms.
The Democrats' candidate for Senate in Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed, happens to have his birthday fall on Halloween. And I, for one, am not going to read into that. Likewise, neither does his Republican opponent, Mike Rogers.
As he said Saturday in a lighthearted new video alongside his wife at a rally, "On Halloween," he gives a tongue-in-cheek shrug. "Okay. I didn't say anything, I was just pointing out the date."
But then he said they thought it would be nice "if we got him a gift basket" for his birthday, which his wife was holding. He starts to take things out of the basket and talk about them - to "have a little fun," he said.
Watch:
Mike Rogers and his wife have a Halloween birthday surprise for Abdul El-Sayed, and each gift comes with a pointed political message.
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 31, 2026
Rogers pulls out a football, referencing El-Sayed's alleged criticism of "toxic masculinity," and fireworks, as the Democrat has criticized their… pic.twitter.com/C6kSBNElaT
In one example, Rogers takes out a package of trendy Dubai chocolate (Rogers has needled him with questions on owning property in Saudi Arabia, and by now, you know there are ample receipts on his and his family's Muslim Brotherhood ties). He also got in a jab about the viral video of El-Sayed, who was caught on a hot mic ridiculing an area of MI, Mackinac: "We know he doesn't like Mackinac fudge...or Mackinac."
He goes through five or six other items, but here are just a few. There was a toy Ford pickup truck. As Mike Rogers tells the crowd, El-Sayed's campaign called anyone who drives a pickup a member of the KKK.
Of course, making pickup trucks is pretty important to Michiganders as the home base of Ford.
Then he draws out a dog bone:
"We thought we'd get him [this], as he says, 'I'm not an animal guy.' We thought, well, maybe we can encourage him to be in a better place," Rogers said cheerfully.
In what might be the most smartly chosen item in the basket, he holds up a football.
El-Sayed previously criticized the sport - including Michigan football - for its "toxic masculinity." "We're hoping that he gains some appreciation for what we love right here in Michigan. What do you think?" Rogers said, smiling.
The best thing about this exercise, with its flair for fun, is that it takes a leftist tactic and throws it back at them. It gets personal, but not in an in-your-face way. It points out the ways Abdul El-Sayed is not in touch with everyday Michigan culture, in the middle-class sort of life. And the ways his candidacy has only served to put the spotlight on his glaring faults in his own words as the season has worn on. The message is clear: you don't know this guy, he does not know you, and you can't trust him with your vote.
So in the spirit of All Hallows' Eve, or Halloween, and its trick-or-treat tradition on Saturday, give generously at the door to all the goblins and Spidermans and princesses - but on Election Day, give your vote to Republicans like Rogers who just speak common sense like a normal American.
Correction: It isn't spelled the way the captions portrayed in the video; Mackinac is the way the place is spelled. We regret the error, Michiganders.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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