Michigan Student Challenges Senate Candidate El-Sayed on Iran Stance
A tense exchange occurred at a University of Michigan town hall where a student questioned Abdul El-Sayed's position on Iran and its government.
During a town hall at the University of Michigan on Wednesday, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed was confronted by a student regarding his stance on Iran. The student, who identified himself as Persian, pressed El-Sayed on his previous comments about the death of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his position on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Iman Dashti, the student, told El-Sayed that members of his family had experienced persecution by the Iranian regime. He shared an account of a cousin who he alleged was killed in Iran by the IRGC for her hijab and an uncle who he claimed was sentenced to death and publicly whipped. Dashti referenced leaked audio from earlier in the year where El-Sayed stated he did not want to comment on Khamenei's death because "there are a lot of people in Dearborn who are sad today." Dashti described that silence as having "a gaping hole in our community."
Dashti repeatedly asked El-Sayed if he regretted his silence, if he would renounce supporters of Khamenei, and if he unequivocally stood against the IRGC and the Islamic Republic of Iran. He directly asked El-Sayed, "You stand with us?"
El-Sayed responded by asserting that the United States has frequently acted as "the world's policeman" and expressed support for democratic and freedom movements globally. He stated, "I will always stand with movements for freedom and democracy." However, he also expressed opposition to U.S.-led regime change in Iran, arguing that it is not the responsibility of the United States to topple foreign governments and that such actions are the responsibility of the Iranian people.
"We should not be in the business of regime change," El-Sayed said. He added, "I want freedom and democracy for the people of Iran, no question. But I want that to be done by the people of Iran, coming together as a community to decide how to create democratic change in their society."
A spokesperson for El-Sayed's campaign, Roxie Richner, stated to Fox News Digital that El-Sayed "will always stand with movements for freedom and democracy and he condemns government anti-free speech violence." The statement also reiterated El-Sayed's view that the U.S. should not spend taxpayer money on regime change wars abroad, arguing those funds are better used domestically for infrastructure, education, and healthcare.
El-Sayed, who won Michigan's Democratic Senate primary in August, is currently campaigning against Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers for the seat vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters. The race has attracted significant national attention and funding.
Earlier in the town hall, El-Sayed also made a comment about the next presidential term, stating, "I'm looking forward to working with the next Democratic president when she takes office in 2029," without specifying whom he was referring to. His remarks came as former Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive 2024 Democratic presidential nominee, campaigned with him in Michigan.