El-Sayed's old posts and Detroit DSA ties draw scrutiny in Michigan Senate race
Two right-leaning outlets reported on older social media posts by Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, covering his foreign-policy comments and Detroit DSA praise, weeks before the Nov. 3 election against Republican Mike Rogers.
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The story, neutrally told
Right · 2Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan, is facing scrutiny over older social media posts, according to Fox News and Breitbart on 6 October 2026. Fox NewsR “Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic U.S. Senate candidate in Michigan, faces scrutiny over Detroit DSA ties as he prepares to face Mike Rogers.” Read at Fox News ↗ BreitbartR “In newly discovered tweets, El-Sayed blamed “our country’s imperialism” for conditions in Iran, Iraq, and Yemen” Read at Breitbart ↗ Right · 2He will face Republican nominee Mike Rogers on Nov. 3. Breitbart said Republicans have not won a Senate race in Michigan since 1994 and cited a recent Fox News poll with El-Sayed at 50 percent and Rogers at 49 percent. Fox NewsR “El-Sayed will face off against Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers on Nov. 3.” Read at Fox News ↗ BreitbartR “Recent Fox News polling indicates a tight race between the two, with El-Sayed at 50 percent and Rogers at 49 percent.” Read at Breitbart ↗ Right · 1Fox News reported that Detroit chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) posts, including one in 2019 reading "Welcome to the team comrade," praised El-Sayed, which it said contrasts with his recent embrace of the "capitalist" label. Fox NewsR “"Welcome to the team comrade," the group’s Detroit chapter wrote in a post in 2019 alongside a picture of El-Sayed” Read at Fox News ↗
Right · 1Other posts the outlet cited thanked El-Sayed for endorsing Bernie Sanders and for signing a 2018-era demand, with 140 co-signers, to seize abandoned General Motors plants and convert them to public use. Fox NewsR “"Thank you to our friend and ally Abdul El-Sayed for endorsing Bernie Sanders. Our movement is unstoppable,"”“El-Sayed was among 140 co-signers for the plan” Read at Fox News ↗ Right · 1Fox News also said El-Sayed spoke at six DSA chapter events between 2017 and 2020, including a 2019 fundraiser keynote, and that DSA officials told Politico in July they were mobilising resources to help in the Democratic primary. Fox NewsR “Between 2017 and 2020, the Michigan Democrat spoke at six events held by Democratic Socialists of America chapters”“DSA officials told Politico in July that they were mobilizing resources to help El-Sayed win his Democratic primary election.” Read at Fox News ↗ Right · 1El-Sayed told the New York Times that capitalism depends on regulated markets and that "You don’t have to be a socialist to believe that you should be taxing billionaires their wealth," and told the Wall Street Journal in July, "I'm not technically or practically DSA." Fox NewsR “So, I’m a capitalist who just knows about capitalism.”“"I'm not technically or practically DSA," El-Sayed told the Wall Street Journal in July.” Read at Fox News ↗
Right · 1Fox News noted that DSA has not officially endorsed El-Sayed's Senate bid, that its national platform goes beyond his proposals (for example abolishing the Senate and defunding the Department of Defense), and that his campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Fox NewsR “Although the DSA has not officially endorsed El-Sayed in his Senate bid or affirmed his platform”“El-Sayed’s campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment” Read at Fox News ↗ Right · 1Breitbart reported separate older tweets in which El-Sayed blamed US "imperialism" for conditions in Iran, Iraq and Yemen on 3 January 2020, said US sanctions contributed to Iran's COVID-19 pandemic on 24 March 2020, and on 15 August 2021 attributed events in Kabul to the decision 20 years earlier "to wage endless, aimless war" under George W. Bush. BreitbartR “On January 3, 2020, El-Sayed blamed “[o]ur country’s imperialism” for creating the conditions that led to the Iranian regime”“blamed it on “the fateful choice 20 yrs ago to wage endless, aimless war in pursuit of an undefined mission under G. W. Bush.”” Read at Breitbart ↗ Right · 1Breitbart characterised these posts as "apologias for Middle Eastern terrorists" and linked them to comments by campaign surrogate Hasan Piker, who it said called America "pound for pound" worse than Al-Qaeda; it also said Rogers' campaign has pointed to El-Sayed's ties to terrorist organisations. These are Breitbart's characterisations, and the article does not quote a response from El-Sayed. BreitbartR “El-Sayed posted several times apologias for Middle Eastern terrorists”“Rogers’ campaign has pointed out El-Sayed’s numerous ties to terrorist organizations” Read at Breitbart ↗
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
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right2 outlets
- Framing
- Both outlets present the resurfaced posts as damaging to El-Sayed: Fox on a socialism-versus-capitalism contradiction, Breitbart on foreign-policy comments it reads as blaming America for terrorism.
- Emphasis
- Fox stresses DSA praise, events and the GM plant demand; Breitbart stresses 'imperialism' tweets, the Kabul post and ties to Hasan Piker.
- Leaves out or plays down
- No outlet on the left or centre covered the story. Neither right-leaning article includes a response from El-Sayed's campaign to the specific posts; Fox says the campaign did not immediately respond. Fox notes DSA has not endorsed his Senate bid.
- Charged language
- “Muslim socialist”“apologias for Middle Eastern terrorists”“unearthed”“comrade”
What every side reports
- El-Sayed is the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan and faces Republican Mike Rogers on Nov. 3.
- Both outlets report on older, recently resurfaced social media posts by or about El-Sayed.
Where accounts differ
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What the resurfaced posts show
- Right
- Fox News says the Detroit DSA posts contradict El-Sayed's "capitalist" self-description; Breitbart says his tweets suggest America causes or exacerbates terrorism and calls some "apologias for Middle Eastern terrorists". El-Sayed's own response is not given beyond earlier interview quotes.
Abdul El-Sayed person
In quotes Fox cites, El-Sayed calls himself a capitalist and says he is not 'technically or practically DSA'; his campaign had not responded to the new posts.
“"I'm not technically or practically DSA," El-Sayed told the Wall Street Journal in July.” — Fox News
Mike Rogers person
Per Breitbart, Rogers' campaign has pointed to El-Sayed's alleged ties to terrorist organisations.
“Rogers’ campaign has pointed out El-Sayed’s numerous ties to terrorist organizations” — Breitbart
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right2 articles
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Abdul El-Sayed's Unearthed Social Media Posts Suggest America Causes or Exacerbates Terrorism
Critical Reads El-Sayed's old tweets as blaming America for terrorism and ties him to Hasan Piker and Rogers' attack lines.
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Unearthed social media posts contradict El-Sayed’s ‘capitalist’ narrative
Critical Argues Detroit DSA's praise undercuts El-Sayed's 'capitalist' claim, while noting DSA has not endorsed his Senate bid.
- 6 Oct 20:24 First BreitbartR Abdul El-Sayed's Unearthed Social Media Posts Suggest America Causes or Exacerbates Terrorism
- 6 Oct 23:00 +2h 36m Fox NewsR Unearthed social media posts contradict El-Sayed’s ‘capitalist’ narrative
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.