Abdul El-Sayed is Challenging Democrats — But Can He Actually Govern?

Abdul El-Sayed is Challenging Democrats — But Can He Actually Govern?

From The Tara Palmeri Show by Tara Palmeri

May 3, 2026 · 38 min

About this episode

Tara Palmeri interviews Dr. Abdul El-Sayed about his campaign for the Michigan Senate and his views on the Democratic establishment.

Tara Palmeri sits down with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, the former Detroit health director and Michigan Senate candidate running against the Democratic establishment without a dollar of corporate money. Abdul breaks down the crowded Michigan Senate primary — Mallory McMorrow's resurfaced tweets disparaging the state she wants to represent, Haley Stevens' Schumer backing, and why his poll numbers keep climbing despite no PAC support. They go deep on his relationship with Hasan Piker and whether campaigning with a controversial creator costs or gains votes, his willingness to sit down with Trump ("He's a narcissistic a***ole... he's also the president"), the $100 million AIPAC super PAC targeting him, why he thinks Democrats lost in 2024, and what Medicare for All actually looks like in a gridlocked Senate. Plus a rapid-fire round that includes his thoughts on Hamas vs. the IDF, his hatred of Ohio, and why Bernie Sanders is "the OG." 0:00 – Intro: Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, Michigan Senate candidate running without corporate money 1:33 – Schumer backed Stevens, now says he's "fine with either" of Abdul's opponents 4:37 – Running without PAC money: "When people understand you're fighting for them…

People in this episode

Host: Tara Palmeri

Guest: Dr. Abdul El-Sayed

Topics covered

  • Michigan Senate primary
  • Democratic establishment
  • campaign finance
  • populism
  • Medicare for All
  • political strategy

Keywords

  • Abdul El-Sayed
  • Michigan Senate
  • Democrats
  • campaign finance
  • Medicare for All
  • politics
  • populism

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: AIPAC

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