El-Sayed Reclaims Vance's 'Weasel' Jab as Michigan Rallying Cry
The Michigan Democrat transformed a personal insult from Vice President JD Vance into a pointed jab referencing their home states' college football rivalry.
Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed responded to Vice President JD Vance's personal attack by reinterpreting the insult as a symbol of his home state.
Vance, speaking at a Republican rally for congressional hopeful Mike Rogers in Monroe, Michigan, on Thursday, called El-Sayed a "little weasel who should shut his mouth and show a little gratitude to the country that gave him everything."
El-Sayed, speaking at an event in Marquette, Michigan, on Saturday, countered by acknowledging the "loud people" who try to make others "small." He then directly addressed Vance, stating, "JD Vance called me a little weasel today. I’m like, ‘No, no, no, what you’re talking about is a f***ing Wolverine.’"
He continued, "You can take your Buckeye and you can shove it somewhere else. Ohio." The crowd responded with applause. El-Sayed further emphasized his point by referencing Michigan's major college sports teams, stating, "Here we might be Wildcats, we might be Spartans, we might be Wolverines, but we will never be Buckeyes."
El-Sayed is an alumnus of the University of Michigan, whose mascot is the Wolverine. Vance is an alumnus of Ohio State University, whose mascot is the Buckeye. The annual football game between these two universities is one of the most significant rivalries in college sports.