Michigan Black Leader Slams Senate Candidate El-Sayed as 'Snake Oil' Salesman

A prominent Black leader in Michigan has publicly rejected Democratic Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed, describing him as an untrustworthy "snake oil" salesman with whom the community feels "flat-out disdain." Charles E. Williams II, president of the Michigan chapter of Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network, voiced these criticisms in undercover footage obtained by The Midwesterner.

Williams, often referred to as Sharpton's "little brother in the movement," expressed concerns about El-Sayed's perceived lack of cultural credibility and the feasibility of his campaign platform. "You can’t pluck the heart strings of people selling them all of the pie in the sky, that’s not realistic," Williams stated during a meeting at his church. He questioned how El-Sayed, as a progressive candidate, could enact policies like "Medicare for all" and "money out of politics" without majority support or executive branch power, especially in a potential legislative battle with former President Donald Trump.

"So you just selling snake oil.... That’s the real issue that I have with the so-called Democratic Socialists and super progressives anyway," Williams elaborated. "You selling wolf tickets ... You will not get that across."

Williams admitted he had supported El-Sayed's primary challenger, Haley Stevens, and cited personal issues with El-Sayed. "Him and I have some issues that we have had personally, telling me one thing and then doing another, which is a thing culturally that I have seen, I’ve had to deal with that community," he said.

He further conveyed that while the Black community is expected to vote Democrat, there is significant skepticism towards El-Sayed. "I know that there is some hesitancy, some skepticism, and there’s some just flat-out disdain for the person who is the senatorial candidate for the Democratic Party," Williams noted during a meeting with get-out-the-vote volunteers.

During a rally in Benton Harbor, a neighborhood that is 82% Black, the audience for El-Sayed was reportedly almost entirely white, a detail observed by journalist David Weigel. Meanwhile, Al Sharpton visited Detroit to encourage Black voter turnout but stopped short of endorsing El-Sayed. "It’s not whether we’re Democrat or Republican, it’s that we’re going with who’s best for us," Sharpton told supporters, adding that his efforts were "nonpartisan."

El-Sayed has faced challenges in gaining support from Black voters, with a September Washington Post–Schar School poll indicating a 16-percentage-point gap between general Democratic support and support for El-Sayed among this demographic in Michigan. The candidate has been criticized for what are described as "cringe" attempts to connect with the community, including an awkward visit to a barbershop in Grand Rapids.