Right-leaning outlets spotlight El-Sayed's imam allies and Scalise calls him a 'common thread'
Hot Air and Breitbart present Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed as tied to Islamist-linked figures and as emblematic of Democratic socialism. The claims come from right-leaning opinion and interview coverage, and the El-Sayed campaign's response is not reported.
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The story, neutrally told
Right · 1Hot Air columnist Ed Morrissey wrote on 6 October that Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has a pattern of association with Islamist-linked campaign surrogates, citing a Washington Free Beacon report by Chuck Ross. Hot AirR “the Free Beacon's Chuck Ross has discovered yet another El-Sayed campaign surrogate who voices support for radical Islamists” Read at Hot Air ↗ Right · 1According to the Free Beacon report as quoted by Hot Air, El-Sayed campaigned three times this year with Dearborn Heights imam Mohammad Ali Elahi, who is described as a former Iranian Navy propaganda official and a former senior official at Iran's Martyrs Foundation, which the US government has sanctioned. Hot AirR “a high-ranking official at Iran's Martyrs Foundation, now sanctioned by the U.S. government for funneling money to Hezbollah” Read at Hot Air ↗ Right · 1The report says Elahi hosted El-Sayed at his mosque on 24 June, organised an anti-Israel "interfaith" roundtable on 21 July, and attended a Dearborn fundraiser that raised $350,000 for the Senate bid; it also says Elahi claimed after 9/11 that "Mossad and Israel" perpetrated the attacks. Hot AirR “hosted El-Sayed at a campaign event at his mosque on June 24, organized an anti-Israel "interfaith" roundtable for El-Sayed on July 21” Read at Hot Air ↗
Right · 1Hot Air also points to other imams who have endorsed or supported El-Sayed: Abdelhamid Algizawi, who called slain Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh a "heroic martyr", and Hassan Qazwini, who urged congregants to vote for El-Sayed to "deal the Zionist a blow". It adds that El-Sayed scrubbed Algizawi from a YouTube channel and earlier worked with streamer Hasan Piker as a surrogate. Hot AirR “urged congregants in August to vote for El-Sayed in order to "deal the Zionist a blow."”“led El-Sayed to scrub Algizawi from his YouTube channel” Read at Hot Air ↗ Right · 1The column says El-Sayed has publicised endorsements from Christian leaders but not those from imams, and criticises Michigan media for not covering the connections; the column cites no response from El-Sayed or his campaign. Hot AirR “While El-Sayed prominently displays endorsements from Sheffield and other Christian leaders, he has not acknowledged endorsements he's received from Elahi and other imams.” Read at Hot Air ↗ Right · 1On polling, Hot Air says El-Sayed leads Republican Mike Rogers 47.8 to 44.2 in the RealClearPolitics average and led every poll in the past month except a tie from Co/Efficient. It notes El-Sayed beat Haley Stevens in the Democratic primary by a single point after leading polls by double digits. Hot AirR “He currently leads Rogers on the RCP aggregate average, 47.8/44.2” Read at Hot Air ↗
Right · 1Separately, Breitbart reported that House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA), speaking on FBN's "Mornings" on Thursday 8 October, called El-Sayed, whom it describes as a self-proclaimed Democratic socialist, "not the anomaly" but "the common thread" of Democratic candidates this year. BreitbartR “He is not the anomaly. He is the common thread of the kind of candidates that the Democrats are running this year.” Read at Breitbart ↗ Right · 1Scalise framed the midterms, 28 days away, as a turnout election and warned that "socialists can absolutely win" if Republican voters stay home. He also cited a Democratic candidate in Scranton, Pennsylvania, who he said wants to disarm police; Breitbart's account did not link his remarks to the imam allegations. BreitbartR “this is going to be a turnout election, Cheryl,”“If you do, by the way, socialists can absolutely win. Look at El-Sayed in Michigan.” 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 pieces cast El-Sayed as a radical liability for Democrats: Hot Air through an opinion column on his imam and surrogate ties, Breitbart through a Republican leader's interview remarks calling him the party's 'common thread'.
- Emphasis
- Elahi's Iranian regime background, anti-Israel statements by supporters, El-Sayed's alleged reticence about the imam endorsements, and the call for GOP ads to expose them; Scalise's turnout message.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Neither reports a response from El-Sayed or his campaign, independent verification of the Free Beacon's claims, or any left- or centre-leaning coverage. Breitbart does not mention the imam allegations.
- Charged language
- “Islamist surrogate”“Khomeini acolyte”“Protection Racket Media”“far-left Democrat”“crazy communists”
What every side reports
- Abdul El-Sayed is a Democratic candidate for US Senate in Michigan and faces Republican Mike Rogers.
- Both outlets criticise El-Sayed from a Republican-aligned viewpoint.
Abdul El-Sayed person
Per Hot Air's account, El-Sayed has appeared with the imams and accepted their support but has kept the relationships largely quiet outside Dearborn. No statement from El-Sayed or his campaign appears in the coverage.
“El-Sayed kept largely quiet about the relationship, which goes back several years.” — Hot Air
Steve Scalise person
Scalise presents El-Sayed as typical of the Democratic candidates running this year, and urges Republicans to turn out to stop socialists winning.
“He is the common thread of the kind of candidates that the Democrats are running this year.” — Breitbart
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right2 articles
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Hot AirR · · Opinion
The Company He Keeps: Another El-Sayed Islamist Surrogate
Alarmist Opinion column built on a Free Beacon report presents El-Sayed's imam and surrogate ties as a pattern and attacks local media for ignoring it.
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Scalise: El-Sayed 'Not the Anomaly' — He Is the 'Common Thread' Democrats Are Running
Critical Interview clip relays Scalise's description of El-Sayed as the 'common thread' of Democratic socialist candidates, with a turnout appeal.
- 6 Oct 21:00 First Hot AirR The Company He Keeps: Another El-Sayed Islamist Surrogate Opinion
- 9 Oct 06:29 +57h 30m BreitbartR Scalise: El-Sayed 'Not the Anomaly' — He Is the 'Common Thread' Democrats Are Running
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.