Democratic Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed is facing pushback from conservatives on social media and the Republican he’s running against over an appearance where he was accused of equating the "radicalism" of Iran with the "MAGA movement."
"There are many people who see the downfall of the regime as a good thing, but the question of whether or not it was pursued legally, that's a different question," the progressive candidate told "America's Newsroom" on Wednesday. El-Sayed was responding to controversy over a Washington Free Beacon report on leaked audio of him explaining why he shouldn’t take a public position on the death of former Iran Supreme Leader Khamenei because of people in Dearborn, Michigan, who are "sad."
"Whether or not its worth $31 billion of our taxes and counting a billion dollars a day, that's another thing. Whether or not we should be paying higher rates at the pump every single time we try to just get where we're going and pump gas… that [is] a big question, and I'll tell you what, there are a lot of people who are really sad about the fact that they thought that the era of foreign wars, of never-ending regime change wars were over, and here we are."
During another point in the interview, El-Sayed was asked, "Would we all not be better off if the radicals in Iran did not make decisions for the people?"
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El-Sayed responded, "Radicalism of any sort is bad, which is why this MAGA movement taking us into yet another war in my lifetime, and I’m only 41, is so ridiculous."
El-Sayed quickly faced pushback from Republicans who accused him of not sufficiently explaining his comments in the leaked audio and equating the ayatollah’s regime with the Trump administration.
"Democrats in 2026," GOP communicator Matt Whitlock posted on X. "Abdul Al Sayed is asked point blank if the world is better off without the world's largest state sponsor of terror. And gives a word salad about how the Ayatollah's radicalism and Trump's MAGA support are the same."
"Democrat Abdul El-Sayed compares the Trump administration to the Ayatollah," the Republican National Committee account posted on X.
"What?!" Mark Levin Show producer Rich Sementa posted on X.
"You would think sympathizing with a terrorist regime would be disqualifying, but apparently, for Democrats, it’s a fast pass to the front of the primary," Alyssa Brouillet, Mike Rogers' campaign communications director, told Fox News Digital. "No amount of Abdul’s attempts to distract or deflect will be enough to hide how dangerous he and the Democrat party really are for Michigan."
El-Sayed also faced some push back online over his answer to a question about his upcoming event with progressive commentator Hasan Piker, who has been accused of making antisemitic remarks and downplaying the October 7 massacre by Hamas.
"To me, it’s about speaking to a broader audience," El-Sayed explained. "I’m wanting to speak with Hasan’s audience too."
Fox News Digital reached out to El-Sayed’s campaign for comment.
The Senate race in battleground Michigan is one of a handful in this year’s midterm elections that will determine if the Republicans hold their 53-47 majority in the chamber. Michigan, where Democratic Sen. Gary Peters is retiring, is one of the National Republican Senatorial Committee’s (NRSC) top targets as they try to not only hold onto their seats, but also possibly expand their majority.
Rogers, a former FBI special agent who later served as chair of the House Intelligence Committee during his tenure in Congress, launched his campaign last April. Rogers is making his second straight run for the Senate, after narrowly losing the 2024 election to now-Sen. Elissa Slotkin in the race to succeed Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow, who retired. Slotkin, who vastly outspent Rogers, only edged him by roughly 19,000 votes, or a third of a percentage point.
Michigan's Democratic Senate primary will be held on Aug 4 as El-Sayed squares off against Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens to earn the chance to replace Peters in November.