Newsmax analyst bashes MAGA 'two-bit thug' candidate — and backs his Dem rival

Andrew Napolitano, a retired judge and Newsmax legal commentator, is backing Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed in the Senate race and sharply criticizing Republican Mike Rogers, Mediaite reported.

Speaking on an upcoming episode of Katie Halper’s show, in a clip she posted Monday, Napolitano said he’d urge Michiganders to support El-Sayed, with “no question in my mind.”

He branded Rogers a “two-bit thug” who doesn’t belong in government, accusing him of loving war and surveillance and disregarding the Constitution. Napolitano said he’d probably part ways with El-Sayed on taxes and property, but would side with him on war and civil liberties.

Though he works for a pro-Trump network, Napolitano has repeatedly criticized the administration. Last week, he said the Justice Department’s antitrust investigation of TV networks looked like a bid to intimidate journalists. In May, he said Trump’s proposed $1.8 billion fund raised “major constitutional issues,” and last December he said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth should face prosecution for a strike that killed survivors on a suspected drug boat.

Napolitano was previously a legal commentator for Fox News, but was dismissed amid a legal battle over sexual harrassment allegations.

The New York Times’ polling average shows El-Sayed leading in nine of the 10 latest polls, though several are within a point or two. It's thought to be one of the closest and most competitive Senate races of the cycle.