Staff Reports
A video from a July 2025 town‑hall in South Haven showing Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Abdul El‑Sayed saying U.S. actions can create the “pain” that helps drive terrorism has been republished and weaponized by conservative outlets this week. The clip—first posted by a conservative outlet and then amplified across social media—captures El‑Sayed’s public‑health framing: we should study “people’s pain” to understand why someone would commit violence. That explanation might read well in a classroom, but in a pitched Senate race it reads like a dangerous dodge when the topic is terrorism.
The resurfaced town‑hall clip: what he actually said
In the short exchange El‑Sayed acknowledged that military force can be “necessary” to defeat terrorist groups. But he spent most of his time asking why terrorism happens and describing himself as “a student of people’s pain.” His words—“there is a level of pain and frustration and a level of lack of agency that they have to feel to do something so insane and absurd” and “how it is that we’re behaving that may get somebody to think that we don’t see them, and that’s creating pain”—have been quoted nonstop by critics. The footage makes for tidy soundbites: thoughtful on its face, but politically explosive when stitched into a message that looks like blaming America for the violent acts of foreign terrorists.
Why this matters in the Michigan Senate race
Michigan is a top battleground and the Senate seat at stake is a national priority. Voters worried about national security want candidates who put America first—not lectures about feelings. The clip arrives against a backdrop of real violence: reporters have linked the resurfaced remarks to concerns about a March 2026 attack on Temple Israel that federal officials described as “Hezbollah‑inspired.” In swing districts and among suburban voters, an answer that sounds like an excuse will not play well. Calling for root‑cause analysis is one thing. Appearing to excuse or relativize terrorism while running for the U.S. Senate is quite another.
Political fallout and the two competing spins
Republicans are already running with the clip, calling El‑Sayed dovish and unfit to handle national‑security judgment. Conservative media amplified the footage and opponents framed it as an attempt to blame America for terrorism. Defenders say he was making a public‑health point about prevention and that he conceded force is sometimes necessary. That defense will matter to some voters, but when your opponent’s camp can show a clip of you arguing U.S. policy “creates pain” that helps drive terror, your campaign needs more than fine print. The outlet that released the video reported the campaign didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment—hardly the confident rebuttal an embattled nominee needs.
Bottom line: voters deserve straight answers
Abdul El‑Sayed has a record as a physician and public‑health official and he can make thoughtful arguments about causes and prevention. Fine. But when you want to represent Michigan in the United States Senate, voters expect clear positions on how to deter and defeat terrorism—not academic exercises that can be read as blaming America. This resurfaced clip isn’t just fodder for TV; it’s a real test of his judgment. Michigan voters should demand specific, plainspoken answers on national security. If a candidate can’t provide them, don’t be surprised when rhetoric becomes a campaign problem on Election Day.
