Michigan's Democratic Senate nominee basically asked whether America helps create its own terrorism problem.
Abdul El-Sayed, the progressive physician who snagged the Democratic nomination for one of the biggest Senate battles in the country, is getting roasted over old comments that just bubbled back up to the surface. As reported, El-Sayed questioned during a July 2025 conversation whether American foreign policy fuels the kind of grievances and suffering that push people toward violent extremism. And now that he's the official nominee, those words are landing like a bomb in an already explosive race.
Here's what he actually said. El-Sayed acknowledged that military force is sometimes required to wipe out terrorist groups. But then he pivoted hard, saying policymakers need to get curious about what drives individuals toward committing such horrific acts in the first place.
Then came the real spicy part. He argued that the United States built an international rules-based system, then turned around and violated its own rules. He called that dynamic hypocritical and said it breeds resentment among people watching from the outside.
But wait, there's more. El-Sayed went even deeper, talking about the psychological conditions behind political violence. He described a level of suffering and powerlessness that pushes someone toward doing something he himself called "insane and absurd." He openly wondered how American behavior might contribute to making people feel invisible, which he suggested generates pain.
Now let's be clear about what the man did NOT say. He never called terrorist attacks justified. He repeatedly labeled terrorism as "heinous" and completely irrational. His argument was that leaders should study the root causes of radicalization rather than just responding with military muscle.
But his critics? They are having an absolute field day. Republicans argue that zeroing in on what America did wrong essentially lets actual terrorists off the hook. And this is music to the ears of the GOP, which has been working overtime to paint El-Sayed as way too radical for Michigan voters.
The former public health official is squaring off against ex-Republican Rep. Mike Rogers this November, and control of the Senate could literally hang in the balance. El-Sayed ran on big progressive promises like Medicare for All and getting corporate cash out of politics.
The White House has already gone after his policy platform. President Trump and his allies are laser focused on framing this contest as a verdict on El-Sayed's ideology. Meanwhile, his positions on cutting unconditional military aid to Israel and overhauling immigration enforcement are also drawing heavy fire.
El-Sayed barely squeaked past establishment favorite Rep. Haley Stevens in a bruising primary earlier this month. Since then, he's been calling for party unity and trying to expand his appeal beyond the progressive base that carried him to victory.
Good luck with that now. Republicans smell blood in the water, and these resurfaced remarks just gave them fresh ammunition in a race that was already a political tinderbox.
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