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AOC says El-Sayed Michigan Senate win would open the way for the left; Sanders agrees

At a Monday fundraiser, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said an Abdul El-Sayed win in Michigan's Senate race would mean "anybody can win anywhere." Sen. Bernie Sanders later said he agrees.

2 outlets · 0L · 0C · 2R First reported Account updated
Image: New York Post
Image: Breitbart

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The story, neutrally told

Right · 1Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) said at a Monday fundraiser for Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed that "if Abdul can win in Michigan, anybody can win anywhere." Right · 1She said a win would "break open the entire political calculus in America" and described a "generational project" to "break the map". She also said the left is up against "an ascendant and fascist right wing" and people with "extremely small imaginations". Right · 1The New York Post called the remarks private. It reported them from the fundraiser "per multiple outlets" and linked them to speculation that Ocasio-Cortez may run for president, Senate or House in 2028.

Right · 1El-Sayed also spoke about the race's wider meaning. He called it "for all the marbles", predicted a "ripple effect", and said Michigan would show "just how big America is". Right · 1Ocasio-Cortez had endorsed El-Sayed in his primary against Rep. Haley Stevens. The Post reported that El-Sayed leads Republican Mike Rogers by 3.6 points in the latest RealClearPolitics average. Right · 1Some commentators cautioned against reading too much into a result. Matthew Yglesias asked why one would draw this inference from a narrow Michigan win "in a year with a D+9 generic ballot", and Bill Maher warned Democrats could misread a midterm win as an endorsement of the left.

Right · 1On MS NOW's "All In" on Thursday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said he agreed with Ocasio-Cortez's line when host Chris Hayes asked him about it. He called Michigan "a tough, purple state". Right · 1Sanders said El-Sayed faces heavy spending against him and a Trump statement calling him a terrorist. Sanders called that statement racist and an attempt to "foment Islamophobia", and said he was confident Michigan voters would elect El-Sayed anyway. Breitbart relayed this account, and the Trump statement is not independently described in the coverage.

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 right-leaning outlets treat the remarks as a window into the left's ambitions. The Post stresses the 'private' gushing and 2028 speculation, with sceptical pundit quotes. Breitbart relays Sanders's endorsement of the same line in a short clip write-up.
Emphasis
The Post stresses Ocasio-Cortez's 2028 ambitions, her polling position and warnings about overreading a midterm win. Breitbart gives Sanders's answer, including his racism and Islamophobia accusations against Trump.
Leaves out or plays down
No left or centre outlets covered the story. Neither right-leaning piece offers a response from the Trump side or the Rogers campaign to Sanders's charges.
Charged language
“gushes”“lefties”“hardcore lefties”“fascist right wing”
For example
““Squad” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez privately gushed that if Michigan Senate hopeful Dr. Abdul El-Sayed wins his race, the floodgates will be open for lefties” — New York Post
“Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said that he agrees with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)” — Breitbart