Vice President JD Vance is already swinging at Michigan's Democratic Senate nominee, Abdul El-Sayed, calling him a fake "working-class hero" who's really propped up by "wealthy white liberals." It's an early Republican attack line ahead of November.
Vance Goes After Michigan's New Dem Nominee, Calling Him a Fake Working-Class Hero
MarketDash
The VP says Abdul El-Sayed is backed by wealthy white liberals, not the workers he claims to champion.
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Vance Paints El-Sayed as an Elite Progressive
"El-Sayed, he's this guy who holds himself out as a working-class hero, is a guy who's gonna fight for the working class," Vance told Fox News' Laura Ingraham on Wednesday. "He doesn't have a constituency among the working class."
Vance went on to argue that El-Sayed's positions on immigration, trade, and the economy would hurt Michigan workers. He also accused the Democratic Party's progressive wing of embracing "radicals" who "hate even the idea of private property ownership."
Primary Results Complicate Vance's Working-Class Attack
The criticism comes right after El-Sayed's narrow primary win over Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.). The AP called the race with El-Sayed ahead by 14,893 votes, just under 1 percentage point, out of 1.5 million ballots cast. He'll now face Republican Mike Rogers in a contest that could tip the balance of the Senate.
But here's the thing: the primary results actually complicate Vance's whole narrative. Reuters noted that Stevens did better in counties with larger working-class and Black populations, while El-Sayed's support came mostly from white college-educated voters. His campaign also fired up young liberals and found strength in Michigan's Arab American communities.
El-Sayed's ground game was impressive: a 12,000-person volunteer network, visits to 110 cities, and more than 500 events. He pulled that off despite facing $60 million in outside spending against him. His platform included Medicare for All, campaign finance reform, and ending unconditional U.S. military aid to Israel.
Democrats Unite Behind Their Nominee
Vance also took a swipe at the younger voters backing El-Sayed, saying they were "sold a bill of goods" by universities. "They gave them a lot of debt. They did not give them useful skills or a useful credential," he said. "A lot of these kids are very angry."
El-Sayed has called for abolishing ICE and opposes sweeping tariffs that would pass costs onto consumers. Michigan's auto industry is a big deal here, with Trump touting tariffs as a way to revive manufacturing, while industry groups warn that broad vehicle duties could hike prices and mess with supply chains.
Republicans are already labeling El-Sayed as extreme. But Democrats, including Stevens and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), are pledging to close ranks. El-Sayed himself said Wednesday, "Whatever differences that we might have had in the primary, they pale in comparison to what unifies us."
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