Actor Dean Cain publicly questioned the athletic background of Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Michigan, by seeking proof of his claims of being a high school football captain.
Cain, a conservative and supporter of former President Donald Trump, posted on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, asking for photographic evidence of El-Sayed playing high school football. "Has anyone ever seen a photo of Michigan Senate candidate Abdulrahman Mohamed El Sayed (D) playing High School football?" Cain wrote. "He says he was captain of the team, but I can’t find a single photo. Internet, please do your thing --"
In subsequent posts, Cain, who portrayed Superman in the 1990s television series "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman," shared a photo of himself playing football in 1981 and reiterated his request for a photo of El-Sayed. Cain stated that El-Sayed's website mentioned him being captain and that "There must be photos if this was the case."
Even when presented with a 2002 article from The Detroit Free Press mentioning El-Sayed's athletic achievements, Cain remained unconvinced, asking, "What newspaper?"
According to El-Sayed's biography, he participated in football, wrestling, and lacrosse in high school, and played lacrosse in college. He has also shared photos on his Instagram account wearing his football and lacrosse uniforms. Other social media users responded to Cain's posts, with some sharing anecdotes about El-Sayed's athletic past and others criticizing the focus on such a matter amidst broader political or economic concerns.