A man who questioned Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed about the Muslim Brotherhood during a town hall Saturday has been identified as a former aide to Republican Sen. Josh Hawley, The Guardian reported Monday.

Thomas Teepell, who introduced himself as “Tommy,” pressed El-Sayed, who is Muslim, to disavow the organization before the candidate challenged the implications of his question.

“Will you disavow the Muslim Brotherhood?” Teepell asked.

“Sure. Yeah, absolutely,” El-Sayed responded before asking why Teepell raised the question.

Teepell said he asked because the Muslim Brotherhood was a terrorist organization and he had not previously heard El-Sayed condemn it.

The United States has moved to designate certain chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations, according to The Guardian.

This is Tommy. Tommy had a question about my allegiances. Listen to the end to hear about his. https://t.co/p09eMtsh0x

— Dr. Abdul El-Sayed (@AbdulElSayed) October 18, 2026

El-Sayed Turns the Question

El-Sayed questioned whether Teepell assumed he would have conflicting loyalties because of his religion.

“You’re asking the question because implicitly you assume that I’ll have dual loyalties,” El-Sayed said.

He continued by explaining that his allegiance would be to the U.S. Constitution, which protects religious freedom.

“You assume, Tommy, that because I am Muslim that somehow I would have some allegiance to something that is not our Constitution,” El-Sayed said.

The candidate then drew comparisons to former President John F. Kennedy, who faced questions about whether his Catholic faith would influence his presidency.

El-Sayed recalled that Kennedy faced concerns about whether his loyalty would lie with the United States or the Vatican.

He argued that Americans should be able to practice their religions without having their constitutional allegiances questioned.

The exchange continued as El-Sayed asked Teepell about his own religious beliefs.

El-Sayed, Teepell Speak on Religion

Teepell identified himself as a Christian and said he tried to follow Christian doctrine. When El-Sayed asked whether he should also be required to follow those teachings, Teepell acknowledged that religious observance was a personal choice.

El-Sayed then asked whether Teepell would reject efforts to incorporate religious doctrine into American law.

“Do you disavow any attempt to read any religious doctrine into the laws of our country?” El-Sayed asked.

“I do not,” Teepell responded.

“So I think it’s you who needs to understand the Constitution of the United States,” El-Sayed replied.

According to The Guardian, congressional staffing records show Teepell joined Hawley’s office as an intern in 2023 before eventually becoming operations director. He left the position in February 2026.

Teepell subsequently became political director for Philip Sarnecki’s unsuccessful Kansas gubernatorial campaign. He is also the son of Republican political strategist Timmy Teepell, a longtime adviser to Hawley and former Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.

The Guardian credited The Handbasket with first reporting Teepell’s identity.

The confrontation comes amid a closely contested Michigan Senate race between El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers.

Rogers has previously raised allegations about El-Sayed’s purported connections to the Muslim Brotherhood, which the Democratic candidate has denied.

The Guardian reported there is no evidence that El-Sayed was personally involved with the organization.

Michigan voters will decide the Senate race Nov. 3.