El-Sayed defends policy platform in Fox News interview; Trump criticises network
Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed was interviewed by Martha MacCallum on Fox News's "The Story" on 5 October about Medicare for All, taxes and schools. Trump later criticised Fox for airing him.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic candidate for US Senate in Michigan, was interviewed on Monday 5 October by Martha MacCallum on Fox News Channel's "The Story" about his policy platform. Raw StoryL “Progressive Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed stepped into the hornet's nest Monday to discuss his policy platform with Fox News host Martha MacCallum” Read at Raw Story ↗ BreitbartR “On Monday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “The Story,” Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed” Read at Breitbart ↗ Left · 1Raw Story reported that El-Sayed has faced criticism from the right over his support for Medicare for All and other policies Republicans call "socialist", and that MacCallum challenged him on health care. Raw StoryL “El-Sayed has received a lot of criticism from the right wing about his support for policies like Medicare For All and other policies that Republicans have deemed "socialist."” Read at Raw Story ↗ Left · 1MacCallum said European health care leaves people waiting a long time for care. El-Sayed replied that pointing to another country's failures is no reason to say the US cannot do better, and said the average wait to see a cardiologist in America is around 2.5 months. Raw StoryL “"The idea that we're going to point to another country that did something poorly and say, 'We can't do better' is ridiculous," El-Sayed shot back, adding that the average wait time to see a cardiologist in America is around 2.5 months.” Read at Raw Story ↗
Left · 1MacCallum cited a statistic that 25% of fourth-graders read proficiently and asked why government should be trusted with health care. El-Sayed said failing districts are underfunded, partly because of property tax funding, and compared this to the military, saying the US has a great one because it chooses to invest in it. Raw StoryL “"Those public schools are deeply underfunded," he said, pointing to issues stemming from property tax revenue.”“To your point, we have a great military because we choose to invest in it. Imagine if we chose to invest in health care.” Read at Raw Story ↗ Right · 1On taxes, MacCallum said New York and New Jersey residents pay an enormous amount for public services. El-Sayed said he is a capitalist who believes in supply and demand, but that basics such as good schools, clean air and water, health care and childcare should be offered by government. BreitbartR ““We pay an enormous amount of taxes in New York and New Jersey for those things.””““I’m a capitalist because I believe that we leave it to supply and demand, right?” Read at Breitbart ↗ Right · 1El-Sayed said people pay so much because the US fights wars it should not fight and because loopholes let the richest people pay a lower effective tax rate than others. He said he would rather "buy really good schools" than wars. BreitbartR ““Well, the reason we pay so much money is because we end up fighting wars that we shouldn’t be fighting.”“we cut loopholes for the richest people, who pay a lower effective tax rate than we do.” Read at Breitbart ↗
Left · 1At a campaign rally in Nebraska the same day, President Donald Trump called El-Sayed a "communist" and criticised Fox News for the interview, saying "They hardly fight him at all." He also called Fox anchor Jessica Tarlov a "loser". Raw StoryL “Trump, who called El-Sayed a "communist" during his rally in Nebraska, was disgusted by Fox News' interview, and lashed out at the network during his speech.”“"Jessica Tarlov. What another loser," Trump said, and the crowd booed.” Read at Raw Story ↗
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.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- Presents the interview as a win for El-Sayed over a hostile host, then covers Trump's angry reaction.
- Emphasis
- El-Sayed's rebuttals on health care wait times and school funding.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not report his remarks on taxes and wars.
- Charged language
- “wrecks Fox News host”“blistering interview”“hornet's nest”
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- Short clip write-up framing El-Sayed's remarks as a claim that high taxes stem from wars and the rich underpaying.
- Emphasis
- His tax and war comments, with MacCallum's interjections.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Omits the health care and schools exchanges and Trump's reaction.
- Charged language
- “buy a whole bunch of wars”
- For example
-
“argued that we end up paying high taxes for government services “because we end up fighting wars that we shouldn’t be fighting.”” — Breitbart
What every side reports
- El-Sayed is a Democratic Senate candidate in Michigan.
- He was interviewed by Martha MacCallum on Fox News's "The Story" on Monday 5 October.
- MacCallum pressed him on government services and taxes; he argued for public investment.
Where accounts differ
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How the interview went
- Left
- Raw Story says El-Sayed's answers often left MacCallum searching for what to say next.
- Right
- Breitbart reports his remarks as a straightforward claim that wars and low taxes on the rich drive high taxes, without judging who prevailed.
-
Whether Fox challenged him enough
- Left
- Raw Story relays Trump saying Fox 'hardly fight him at all'; it says El-Sayed turned MacCallum's attacks back on her.
- Right
- Breitbart shows MacCallum interrupting him repeatedly on taxes.
Abdul El-Sayed person
Argues for public investment in health care and schools, funded by ending unneeded wars and closing loopholes for the rich, while calling himself a capitalist.
“So, I would rather us not buy a whole bunch of wars, and I would rather us buy really good schools.”” — Breitbart
Martha MacCallum person
Challenged him with comparisons to European health care, failing public schools and high taxes.
“so why should we think the government will do a good job with our health care?" MacCallum asked.” — Raw Story
Donald Trump person
Called El-Sayed a communist and said Fox did not challenge him enough.
“"They let this guy talk, talk, talk. They hardly fight him at all.” — Raw Story
Left2 articles
-
Progressive candidate wrecks Fox News host in blistering interview: 'That is a problem'
Celebratory Portrays El-Sayed as decisively besting MacCallum.
-
Trump lashes out at Fox News after 'communist' candidate interview: 'Hardly fight him'
Mixed Reports Trump's attack on Fox, noting El-Sayed turned questions back on the host.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right1 article
-
El-Sayed: We Pay High Taxes for Services Because We Have Wars and Rich Don't Pay Enough
Neutral Reports El-Sayed's tax remarks largely through quotes.
- 5 Oct 21:27 First Raw StoryL Progressive candidate wrecks Fox News host in blistering interview: 'That is a problem'
- 5 Oct 23:28 +2h 1m BreitbartR El-Sayed: We Pay High Taxes for Services Because We Have Wars and Rich Don't Pay Enough
- 6 Oct 00:59 +3h 32m Raw StoryL Trump lashes out at Fox News after 'communist' candidate interview: 'Hardly fight him'
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.