El-Sayed declines to say whether Israel or Iran is the bigger US threat
Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed twice declined to rank Israel and Iran as threats to the US, once in an interview and once in a debate with Republican Mike Rogers. El-Sayed called the question a hypothetical and criticised Israeli lobbying for war.
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The story, neutrally told
Right · 2Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for US Senate in Michigan, declined on two occasions this week to say whether Israel or Iran is the greater threat to the United States. BreitbartR “Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed refused to say if he thinks Israel is a bigger threat to the U.S. than Iran” Read at Breitbart ↗ Washington ExaminerR “refused to say whether Israel or Iran poses a greater threat to the United States during a debate Thursday night” Read at Washington Examiner ↗ Right · 1In an interview with "On Balance" host Leland Vittert, recorded Tuesday and released Wednesday, El-Sayed was asked whether they agreed with a supporter who thought Israel was a bigger threat than Iran. El-Sayed answered that "our job is to address our issues diplomatically" and called the question "a dumb question". BreitbartR “During a portion of an interview that took place on Tuesday and was released on Wednesday”“our job is to address our issues diplomatically.” He also stated that the question is “a dumb question.”” Read at Breitbart ↗ Right · 1In that interview El-Sayed said the US is in the war with Iran "in part, because of the advocacy of the Israeli prime minister", who "came to the Situation Room and advocated for the war". They linked the war to unaffordable gas and groceries and to billions of tax dollars sent abroad. BreitbartR “we are in the war in Iran, in part, because of the advocacy of the Israeli prime minister.”“Our gas, our groceries are unaffordable. And that’s on top of the billions in tax dollars that we spend sending our money over there.” Read at Breitbart ↗
Right · 1When Vittert pressed for what El-Sayed saw as the biggest threat, El-Sayed said they did not want tax dollars subsidising war abroad or unconditionally funding foreign militaries, and that the US should enforce international law against "any and every country that breaks it". BreitbartR “I don’t want our tax dollars being used to subsidize war abroad. I don’t want our tax dollars being used to fund, unconditionally, foreign militaries.” Read at Breitbart ↗ Right · 1On Thursday night, in an hourlong debate in Grand Rapids against Republican Mike Rogers, moderator Rick Albin pressed El-Sayed repeatedly on the same question. El-Sayed called it a "ridiculous hypothetical" and turned to domestic spending, saying "I want our tax dollars spent here". Washington ExaminerR “The hourlong debate between el Sayed and Republican candidate Mike Rogers in Grand Rapids, Michigan”“Pressed repeatedly by moderator Rick Albin to identify which country he considered more dangerous, el Sayed instead pivoted to domestic priorities” Read at Washington Examiner ↗ Right · 1In the debate El-Sayed said "Israel has lobbied us to go to war with Iran" and that Iran had responded by bombing countries in the Middle East and disrupting world energy supplies. El-Sayed added "I don't want to be pushed into a war by Israel, and I don't want to be in a war with Iran", and, pressed again, said "Both of them have proven dangerous in their own way." Washington ExaminerR ““Let’s be honest, Israel has lobbied us to go to war with Iran,” el Sayed said.”““Both of them have proven dangerous in their own way,” he said.” Read at Washington Examiner ↗
Right · 1The debate followed a post by President Donald Trump hours earlier that called El-Sayed "Mohammed" and a "RADICAL Extremist, Terrorist Sympathizer". According to the Washington Examiner, El-Sayed replied on social media that Trump was using their name and faith to distract voters from the consequences of the president's policies. Washington ExaminerR “referring to him incorrectly as “Mohammed” and calling the Democratic nominee a “RADICAL Extremist, Terrorist Sympathizer.””“accusing Trump of using his name and faith to distract voters from the consequences of the president’s policies” Read at Washington Examiner ↗ Right · 1Rogers, who has supported the US campaign against Iran but said in the debate that it was time to end the war, criticised El-Sayed for issuing no statement on the third anniversary of the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack, in which about 1,200 people were killed in Israel. Washington ExaminerR “Rogers, who is making his second run for Senate, has supported the U.S. campaign against Iran. But during the debate, he said it was time to end the war.”“criticizing the Democrat for not issuing a statement marking the third anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack that killed about 1,200 people in Israel” Read at Washington Examiner ↗ Right · 1The Washington Examiner described the issue as politically sensitive for El-Sayed, who is a critic of Israel. It noted criticism from some Jewish Democrats and El-Sayed's association with the influencer Hasan Piker, whom El-Sayed has not publicly condemned, and it pointed to Michigan's large Arab American population and tension within the state's Democratic coalition over US support for Israel. Washington ExaminerR “El Sayed has faced criticism from some Jewish Democrats over his positions on Israel and his association with progressive political influencer Hasan Piker”“Michigan has a significant Arab American population, particularly in the Detroit area” Read at Washington Examiner ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre0 outlets
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Right3 outlets
- Framing
- Both outlets present the exchanges as El-Sayed refusing or dodging a basic question about Israel and Iran, in headlines built on the refusal.
- Emphasis
- Breitbart leads with El-Sayed calling the question 'dumb' and gives their answer at length. The Washington Examiner adds debate context: Trump's attack, Rogers' criticism over the Oct. 7 anniversary, Hasan Piker, and doubts about El-Sayed's appeal to centrist Democrats.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Neither carries a response from Rogers or the Trump campaign beyond the quoted attacks, and neither quotes a supporter of El-Sayed's position. Breitbart does not mention the later debate. The Examiner gives less space to El-Sayed's diplomacy and international-law argument.
- Charged language
- “dodges”“refused to say”“RADICAL Extremist, Terrorist Sympathizer”
- For example
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“El-Sayed: 'Dumb' to Ask if I Think Iran's a Bigger Threat Than Israel” — Breitbart
“El Sayed dodges question on whether Israel or Iran poses greater threat to US” — Washington Examiner
What every side reports
- El-Sayed is the Democratic nominee for US Senate in Michigan.
- El-Sayed did not say whether Israel or Iran is the bigger threat to the US.
- El-Sayed said Israel pushed the US toward war with Iran and opposes US involvement in that war.
Abdul El-Sayed person
Calls the Israel-versus-Iran ranking a hypothetical or dumb question, and says the US should rely on diplomacy, avoid war with either country, stop unconditional funding of foreign militaries, and spend tax dollars at home. They say Israel lobbied for the war with Iran, and when pressed said both countries have proven dangerous in their own way.
““I don’t want to be pushed into a war by Israel, and I don’t want to be in a war with Iran,” el Sayed said.” — Washington Examiner
“this sort of, like, hypothetical, who’s a bigger threat is a dumb question.” — Breitbart
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right3 articles
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El-Sayed: 'Dumb' to Ask if I Think Iran's a Bigger Threat Than Israel, 'Our Job' Is to Use Diplomacy
Critical Short clip write-up headlined on El-Sayed calling the question 'dumb', with the long quote reproduced and Vittert's follow-up showing the refusal.
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Critical Debate report framing the answer as a dodge on a politically sensitive issue, with Rogers' attacks and the Piker controversy as context, and El-Sayed's 'both dangerous' answer in the headline.
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- 8 Oct 03:52 First BreitbartR El-Sayed: 'Dumb' to Ask if I Think Iran's a Bigger Threat Than Israel, 'Our Job' Is to Use Diplomacy
- 9 Oct 02:15 +22h 23m Washington ExaminerR El Sayed dodges question on whether Israel or Iran poses greater threat to US: ‘Both of them have proven dangerous in their own way’
- 9 Oct 04:20 +24h 27m The Jerusalem PostRC El-Sayed says Israel, Iran have both proven 'dangerous' to US in Michigan Senate debate
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.