Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed is encountering criticism from within his party after employing contentious language to discuss the implications of his potential victory during a recent donor meeting.
In a Zoom session, the audio of which was obtained by POLITICO, El-Sayed remarked, “If I win … well y’all came at me so now I get to come at you, and you know, primarying people like John Fetterman, I have no problem to do that.” He further elaborated on his strategy, saying, “Ideally you put one ogre on a pike, and then everyone else gets the message, and all of a sudden starts to sound a lot different,” indicating his aim to advance the progressive movement.
These comments quickly drew rebuke from several Democrats on Monday, who perceived them as an affront to the party.
Shannon Watts, the founder of the gun violence prevention group Moms Demand Action, asserted on X that El-Sayed’s words “doesn’t mean Republicans.”
Fred Guttenberg, another gun control activist and father of a Parkland, Florida, school shooting victim, commented: “That is what Abdul El-Sayed and his DSA movement think of Democrats and the party,” urging Michigan residents to back El-Sayed’s primary challenger, Rep. Haley Stevens, and “show AES the loss he deserves.”
A spokesperson for El-Sayed’s campaign referred POLITICO to an earlier statement, clarifying that the candidate was “speaking metaphorically” about his willingness to support a primary against Fetterman, a Pennsylvania senator. Fetterman and El-Sayed have had disagreements regarding support for Israel.
Fetterman, noted for his imposing stature, has been the target of mockery concerning his appearance by political opponents. The “ogre” label is partly attributed to a critique by Kari Lake, a Republican Arizona gubernatorial candidate and ally of Donald Trump. Fetterman’s team did not immediately comment.
The fallout from El-Sayed’s comments highlights another contentious moment in a primary that is polarizing the party’s progressive and moderate factions, sometimes marked by accusations of racism and sexism.
Some Democrats interpreted his remarks as a veiled reference to Stevens, even though El-Sayed did not explicitly mention her in the reviewed call portion.
“Calling your female opponent an ogre you want to put on a pike is not beating the rap that this race has some serious sexism,” Neera Tanden, a centrist Democrat and president of the Center for American Progress, posted on X. Melissa Byrne, a former staffer for Sen. Bernie Sanders, described the remark as an “unforced error” detrimental to the progressive agenda, a post she later removed.
“Abdul continues with personal insults and making this race about his personal political ambitions and the other 49 states,” said Arik Wolk, spokesperson for the Stevens campaign. “Haley is focused on getting things done for Michigan, and only Michigan.”
Republicans also seized on the comment, with some exploiting stereotypes about El-Sayed’s Muslim faith. “Michigan Islamist discusses beheading his opponents,” remarked Steve Guest, a former staffer for Sen. Ted Cruz, on X.
This instance is not isolated, as El-Sayed has previously used — and defended — strong political rhetoric. “When they go low, we don’t go high,” he stated at a campaign rally earlier, echoing a line from Michelle Obama. “We take them to the mud and choke them out.”
El-Sayed and Stevens are set to debate in their final Democratic Senate event on Monday night. The outcome of the August 4 primary could significantly impact the party as it navigates its ideological direction ahead of the 2028 presidential election.
