Michigan Senate Candidate Abdul El-Sayed Faces National-Security Scrutiny
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Conservative commentators and security experts have raised concerns about Abdul El-Sayed’s potential access to classified information if elected, citing past associations with individuals who have expressed support for extremist groups.
If Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed wins the November election, he would be eligible to receive classified briefings without undergoing the executive-branch security-clearance process required of many federal officials. Conservatives interviewed by Fox News Digital argue that his past appearances with figures who have praised U.S.-designated terrorist organizations raise national-security concerns.
Daniel Samet, a research fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, said El-Sayed’s connections to individuals supportive of the intifada and radical Islamist ideology could pose a risk, adding that “anyone refusing to disavow America-hater Hasan Piker should never be elected to Congress.”
The campaign noted that El-Sayed introduced a rally with Amir Makled, who had previously celebrated Hezbollah members, and later shared a stage with Sheikh Fadhel al-Sahlani, who has praised Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack and minimized Holocaust deaths. He also accepted an endorsement from Osama Siblani, a commentator who has praised both Hamas and Hezbollah. El-Sayed has said he finds Piker’s statement that America “deserved 9/11” “dumb” and has distanced himself from the streamer, though he has not fully disavowed him.
El-Sayed’s campaign spokesperson, Cole Wozniak, criticized his Republican opponent Mike Rogers, alleging that Rogers profited from business dealings with Chinese and Saudi-linked firms that could threaten U.S. security. Rogers’ office did not respond to a request for comment.
Heritage Action’s Chip Wyatt warned that El-Sayed’s past statements, including calls to abolish ICE, combined with his associations, could endanger intelligence handling. Additional criticism has focused on El-Sayed’s half-sister, who posted a message marking the anniversary of the 2023 Hamas attack; El-Sayed said they disagree on foreign-policy matters.
Some observers, such as America First Works president Ashley Hayek, suggested that concerns may extend beyond El-Sayed to other candidates linked to progressive groups they claim receive funding from activist network donor Neville Singham. A 2023 New York Times investigation identified Singham as a major funder of organizations with alleged pro-Beijing messaging.
Legal analyst Bryce Poole of Advancing American Freedom emphasized that the risk of unauthorized disclosures by senators is not merely hypothetical, underscoring the need for stronger oversight and training.