El-Sayed Decides Mocking Michigan Football Is a Winning Campaign Strategy

You can't say that Democrat Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed isn't the gift that keeps on giving. 

He has a very high opinion of himself. Yet he's a constant font of hot takes and things that are just awful for his campaign. 

Among a host of other things, he's also made a variety of bad comments about football, including linking the sport to "toxic masculinity."

El-Sayed is out with another hot take that's spreading quickly and isn't likely to go over well in Michigan, mocking Michigan football.

Yikes. Abdul El-Sayed on Michigan football: "Is Michigan ever going to win a game without cheating? I say this as a Wolverine." https://t.co/Lmd6gpuhjt

— Bobby LaValley (@Bobby_LaVallley) October 9, 2026

El-Sayed was meeting with Michigan farmers to discuss issues they might care about. 

He was begging them to speak with people who may be on the other side of the aisle.

He encouraged them to maybe even ditch talking about politics and have a conversation about the weather or "Will (the University of) Michigan ever win a football game without cheating," El-Sayed said with a chuckle in the midst of a couple awkward laughs.

As you can imagine, the internet didn't take too kindly to a Michigan Senate candidate making comments like this.

That got the attention of Michigan fan and Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, who called him a "terrorist" (I think he means it in a football sense of the word here). And Mike Rogers, El-Sayed's Republican opponent, concurred.

.@StoolPresidente is exactly right.

— Mike Rogers (@MikeRogersForMI) October 10, 2026

Genuine question what is this dude’s problem

— College Republicans at UMich (@UMichGOP) October 9, 2026

If anyone would know about cheating, it would be a Democrat...

— Jon Root (@JonnyRoot_) October 10, 2026

One has to think that's not going to help him in Michigan, where football is so important. 

But El-Sayed has already said so many damaging things, so take your pick; the cumulative effect is not good. And he got his head handed to him in the debate this past week by his Republican opponent, Mike Rogers, where his approach mainly consisted of looking aggrieved while Rogers skewered him. He even refused to say who was the bigger threat to the U.S.: Iran or Israel, even as we are fighting Iran. That alone should be disqualifying for a position in the U.S. Senate. 

Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.

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