Abdul El-Sayed breaks with Dem Rep Haley Stevens after she demands he 'condemn' antisemitic campaign ad
The feud between the two Democrats is not uncommon within the wings of the party.
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The feud between the two Democrats is not uncommon within the wings of the party.
Far-left Democrat with family links to the Muslim Brotherhood Abdul El-Sayed has told Democrat Rep. Haley Stevens to stay away from his campaign after the more moderate lawmaker called on him for a "condemnation" of an "antisemitic campaign advertisement."
The feud between the two candidates that faced off in Michigan's Democratic primary comes just days before the midterm election and could fracture the coalition that El-Sayed is looking to hold together.
On Friday, Stevens called on El-Sayed for his "expected condemnation" of an "antisemitic campaign advertisement” that featured a Michigan couple that complained about their food prices and then attributed the prices to the US' support of Israel.
El-Sayed responded, saying that Stevens “seems intent on relitigating a primary that ended three months ago." According to Politico, his campaign is asking Stevens to stay away from all future campaign events ahead of the midterm elections. One of the people on the campaign said she should stay away so “as not to distract from the central issues of the campaign."
Stevens has not campaigned with El-Sayed since a post-primary breakfast. However, she appeared as though she was on the verge of doing so again with El-Sayed and Rep. Jim Clyburn at a Detroit Church on Sunday. However, before she did so, she was expecting the condemnation to come from El-Sayed about the ad.
El-Sayed, instead of touching on the ad or his past comments about Israel, claimed that he "has always been focused on addressing the most critical challenges Michiganders are facing: Skyrocketing gas prices, unaffordable groceries, and the inability to see a doctor."
He then took a swing at Stevens, pointing to her support from AIPAC.
"That focus is why our people-powered campaign defeated a historic $70M in outside spending from big corporations and AIPAC on behalf of Congresswoman Stevens. Now the stakes are even higher—defeating Trump’s hand-picked candidate, taking back the Senate, and defending our democracy."
The feud between the two Democrats is not uncommon within the wings of the party, as DSA-aligned and anti-Israel candidates have gained more of a foothold in these past Democratic primaries.
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