Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed is facing backlash for comments made during a "60 Minutes" interview regarding transgender issues in schools. El-Sayed, who is running against Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan, suggested that such concerns are manufactured and distract from more pressing economic issues.
During the interview, El-Sayed stated, "The notion somehow that you are going to prevent your child from being exposed to something that you may find disagreeable and that that is going to be because of school is so profoundly outdated." He further argued that these cultural debates pull attention away from issues like affordability, healthcare, gas prices, and groceries.
"A lot of the cultural war issues that get fought right now are about trying to distract us from the fact that we can't afford our gas, can't afford our groceries, can't see a doctor, are worried about whether or not our kids are going to have a good life," El-Sayed said. "And instead, we're out here talking about who gets to play what sport, which, you know, should be the question of the people who govern sports."
Rogers quickly responded to a clip of the interview on X, formerly Twitter, stating, "@AbdulElSayed says it's ok for MEN to be in girl's locker rooms. Why? 'Well because they are going to find out about it on the internet anyway' Completely unacceptable." The Daily Mail noted that El-Sayed did not use those exact words.
Other critics also weighed in. A foundation run by former Olympic cyclist Inga Thompson called El-Sayed's answer "a slick, silver tongued way of saying women's rights don't matter." The foundation added, "This man is truly frightening."
El-Sayed, a physician, is currently leading in the polls against Rogers, though some surveys show a tighter margin. The race has seen recent shifts, including an endorsement of Rogers by Democratic Representative Haley Stevens, who lost to El-Sayed in the primary.