Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed faced pointed questions from Fox News host Martha MacCallum over his past rhetoric and his fundraising from wealthy donors, including a member of the Soros family, during a live interview.
MacCallum opened by asking El-Sayed about the rise of democratic socialism in the United States, referencing New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s description of socialism as providing people with what they “need” for a “dignified life.” El-Sayed, who describes himself as a capitalist, responded by listing government-funded schools, healthcare and childcare as things he believes the public is owed.
“I assume you went to good public school. And you get to drive on good roadways,” El-Sayed said, framing public infrastructure and services as part of a broader argument about opportunity.
On the subject of billionaires, El-Sayed argued the problem isn’t that some people have accumulated large fortunes, but that “the engine that created their opportunity to make money is being underfunded.” He added, “My interest is about making sure that we’re funding things that people need in their lives,” saying he would rather see investment in schools than in helping one billionaire become two.
MacCallum also raised a past comment El-Sayed made about political opponents. The full quote, from an earlier remark, was: “When they go low, we don’t go high. We take them to the mud and choke them out.” El-Sayed told MacCallum the comment was about how to respond “when they go low.”
Soros money and the Senate Majority PAC
MacCallum then turned to El-Sayed’s fundraising, noting that while he has campaigned against money in politics and frequently criticizes billionaires, he traveled to Los Angeles to meet with a member of the Soros family to raise campaign funds. El-Sayed argued his situation was different from the big-money politics he criticizes.
MacCallum pressed further, pointing out that El-Sayed has also accepted support tied to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s Senate Majority PAC, which draws on corporate contributions. El-Sayed maintained that donors to the PAC would not later come back to ask him for political favors.
El-Sayed won a close primary victory over Rep. Haley Stevens (MI-11) for the Democratic Senate nomination in Michigan.
