Democrat Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed has a lot of problematic questions, from his bad policies to his bad associations.
But there's another thing that always seems to be on constant display — how obnoxious he can be and how he always seems to want to challenge others physically. It's what makes some think he has "short man syndrome," always having to compensate.
But in an interview with Hasan Minhaj that was released on Oct. 28, El-Sayed went on a bizarre attack on Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, perhaps unintentionally revealing more about himself.
El-Sayed went on this bizarre rant against Pete Hegseth -- claiming that Hegseth "rode the pine" in "whatever sport he played" in high school.
— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) October 30, 2026
He invoked Hegseth's mother (moms are fair game now, huh?), and claimed she was "the type" who would have worn her son's jersey to… pic.twitter.com/YEucHwxyWb
"Everyone knows that guy from the locker room. You know he would have rode the pine. He probably got to start 2 games his entire career, playing whatever sport it was. And it made his life. And his parents came and cheered so hard for him.
And as a kid whose parents never came, right, and who started every game, bro, I feel bad for you. Somebody told you you're a lot better than you really are.
Like, there's something about being a brown kid whose parents... like, no matter what you do, you're never enough. So what that means is you never take yourself too seriously, like I'm never going to be enough.
For him, the very fact that he made the team: his mom was making cakes, she was wearing his jersey, she had a cap made for him. You know the type. So I'm like, bro, you grew up thinking that you were somehow special, but you are not. And you have been living off that fume for the rest of your life. Could you imagine what we would have become if we had supportive parents who just uplifted us for being mediocre?
So let's start with how ignorant he is about Hegseth, and how El-Sayed couldn't even hold a candle to Hegseth when it comes to athletic achievement.
Here's what Hegseth's high school had to say about him in his Hall of Fame induction description. Yes, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame for students.
Pete was an outstanding student, athlete and leader. The valedictorian of his 1999 senior class and starting point guard in basketball, Pete graduated as the school’s all-time leader in both career and single-season three-point shots made (156 and 76, respectively) and single-season three-point shooting percentage (49.7). He was twice named All-Conference and earned All-State honors as a senior. He also earned two varsity letters in football as a wide receiver. He attended Princeton University, lettering four times in basketball and playing in both the NCAA and NIT Division I Basketball Tournaments.
I don't think it sounds like he rode the bench. El-Sayed was named varsity football team captain and played club lacrosse in college. Not quite the same.
. @secwar shooting hoops (yes, 9 of 10, one take) @af_academy Clune Arena following morning PT with cadets ahead of the Air Force vs. Navy football game. https://t.co/HaRXiDtIoo
— Tami Radabaugh (@TRadabaughDOW) October 3, 2026
@AbdulElSayed https://t.co/MrqjWcH4Ci
— Matt Whitlock (@MattWhitlock) October 31, 2026
No, Abdul, that's not even "top of the key."
But why is El-Sayed obsessed with such things and high school? His mind seems locked back in that time period and athletics or physical prowess to prove worth. And while he thinks he's dissing Hegseth, he's really revealing some troubling things about himself. He talks about his parents not coming to his games, and says his parents weren't supportive. Then there was this: "Like, there's something about being a brown kid whose parents... like, no matter what you do, you're never enough." Is that why he seems to be constantly overcompensating and acting like he has short man syndrome? Because he felt he was "never enough"? Is that why he's constantly aggressive and challenging people if he feels like they're not saying something he likes?
Then El-Sayed appears disturbed that Hegseth had supportive parents. He's specifically taking after Pete's mom for being supportive. Is he really putting down supportive parents, which are probably most parents? Is that because his own biological mom didn't raise him and/or whatever else he's talking about there with parents not being supportive? I don't think he wants to bring up his biological mom, or that might raise those questions about her alleged Muslim Brotherhood connection according to his sister's tweets. I'm guessing that's a bit different from Pete's mom.
El-Sayed speaks about Hegseth "living off that fume" for the rest of his life. No, I don't think Hegseth is still stuck in high school, like El-Sayed seems to be. Hegseth achieved in high school and college, went on into the military, was a Fox News host, and is now the Secretary of War. He moved on, and that's a successful career by any measure.
The funniest part of the whole clip was at the end, where the interviewer, Hasan Minhaj, just wanted to get off the twisted subject: "Can I talk to you about strategy, though?"
The final moments here, when Minhaj says “can we talk about strategy,” are very funny
— David Weigel (@daveweigel) October 30, 2026
Bottom line? It isn't just the radical leftist positions or the questions about the Muslim Brotherhood. It's that he appears to have some serious issues.
