Vice President JD Vance has labeled Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed a "limousine socialist," asserting that the progressive platform advocated by El-Sayed threatens the state's working-class auto industry and could depress American wages.
Vance made these remarks during an interview on Fox News, where he discussed the broader direction of the Democratic Party following El-Sayed's primary victory. El-Sayed, who secured the Democratic nomination for Michigan's open U.S. Senate seat, is set to face Republican candidate Mike Rogers in the November general election. El-Sayed's primary campaign was supported by progressive figures such as Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
"They're not promising you industry. They're not promising you good jobs. They're not promising self-sufficiency in a good industrial economy. What they're promising is redistribution," Vance stated, contrasting El-Sayed's approach with a focus on industrial growth. Vance suggested that the primary wins for candidates on the left indicate a desire within the Democratic base for "radicals."
Vance specifically criticized El-Sayed's stance on immigration and trade, arguing that increased immigration could lead to lower wages for American workers. He also contended that El-Sayed has opposed trade policies, such as tariffs, which Vance believes have benefited the Michigan auto industry. "How does he fight for the working class? By flooding his state and his country with low-wage immigrants. Of course, those people will drive down the wages of the working class. And he also doesn't want to do anything to protect the Michigan auto industry. He has fought against the Trump tariffs that have saved the Michigan auto industry," Vance said.
The Vice President drew a parallel to what he described as similar economic ideas in Europe and the United States, characterizing them as an attempt to build prosperity through asset redistribution rather than sustaining the economy's foundational elements. He credited the current administration's policies with working towards economic growth.
El-Sayed's campaign platform has included proposals such as Medicare for All and campaign finance reform, a platform Vance described as contrasting with Stevens' focus on manufacturing and the auto industry. Fox News Digital reached out to the El-Sayed campaign for comment but did not immediately receive a response.