Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed had nearly six months to reconsider what he said after a man attacked Temple Israel in suburban Detroit.
From the Associated Press:
“My comments may have been misconstrued to justify something I did not mean to justify,” El-Sayed told reporters after he addressed the caucus at a party convention in Lansing. “To anyone who feels like my comments might have been hurtful, I’m really sorry. That was not my intention.”
El-Sayed’s apology was his latest attempt to unify Democrats after a bitter primary where he defeated U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens. He’s eager to push past a series of controversies involving allegations of antisemitism, including his association with controversial commentator Hasan Piker. He faces Republican nominee Mike Rogers in a race that will help determine control of the Senate.
Somehow, clarity arrived on Aug. 29, after the Democratic primary was safely behind him and Jewish voters became considerably more important to his November plans.
In March, Ayman Mohammad Ghazili rammed his vehicle into the synagogue and opened fire on a security guard before later dying by suicide. Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed condemned the attack and then added that "hurt people hurt people," while discussing Ghazali's relatives who had been killed in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon.
From the Jewish Telegraphic Agency:
The Democratic nominee told the room that his remarks following the attempted targeting of the West Bloomfield synagogue preschool, in which he had said, in part, “Hurt people hurt people,” were intended to provide “context.”
Reflecting on them, he said on Saturday, “I made a mistake.”
“If my statement caused pain, I’m sorry. It was not what I intended to do,” El-Sayed continued. Referencing the first of two statements he had made about the attack, he added, “We issued a statement, of course, condemning it, and that just should have been it, full stop.”
El-Sayed’s initial Temple Israel comments, which many Jews interpreted as justifying the attack, have alienated Jewish voters in the state. After an initial statement condemning the attack, El-Sayed then followed up with one referencing Israel’s war in Lebanon, where the attacker had lost family in an Israel airstrike.
On Saturday, El-Sayed, a former county health director, insisted that his push for “context” to the attack was broadly appropriate, but not at that moment, explaining that such “conversations” could happen “in the fullness of time.”
“Sometimes you can’t really see context in the moment of acuity or pain,” he said. “The intention for me was not to trample that pain. It was not to discount it. It was not at all to justify any sort of domestic terrorism. That’s wrong, full stop.”
Many Jewish Michiganders objected. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel later said Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed shouldn't make excuses for domestic terrorism.
Apparently, "hurt people hurt people" sounds different when the hurt people are standing in a synagogue while somebody is shooting at them.
Then came Saturday.
Speaking to Michigan's Jewish Democratic Caucus, the Democratic U.S. Senate nominee finally said, "I made a mistake."
He apologized for causing pain and acknowledged that his original condemnation of the attack should've ended there.
Nobody can know what was in his heart. The calendar is considerably easier to read.
The apology came 25 days after Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed narrowly won the Aug. 4 Democratic primary. He now faces Republican nominee Mike Rogers, a former U.S. representative, in a Senate contest where a recent poll showed Rodgers ahead 51% to 47%, within the margin of error.
According to a Fox News survey of Michigan registered voters conducted Aug. 6-10 and released this week, Rogers held a 51%-47% edge over El-Sayed, within the survey’s margin of sampling error.
Rogers’ edge is fueled largely by stronger party unity among Republicans. Nearly all Republicans (96%), including both MAGA (99%) and non-MAGA Republicans (89%), backed Rogers, the poll indicates.
El-Sayed's support among Democrats is slightly lower, at 91%. While 98% of self-described Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) supporters backed El-Sayed, that number dropped to 69% of non-DSA Democrats and independents.
"El-Sayed is clearly underperforming in some groups...There is damage done from the primary," veteran pollster and strategist Chris Anderson, the Democratic partner on the Fox News Poll, said.
Anderson told Fox News Digital that El-Sayed "needs to bring home Democrats...He has his work cut out for him and he needs to convince some folks, but I think there’s favorable ground for him to be playing on despite the concerns that a lot of voters hold."
Rogers, in an interview with Fox News Digital ahead of the primary, said "we've unified the Republican Party in a way I haven't seen in decades here on this particular race."
"We're building our team, our resources, and ready for the fight...in a way I don't think Democrats are expecting," Rogers, who is backed by President Donald Trump as he runs for the Senate for a second straight cycle, touted.
Michigan has over 100,000 Jewish residents. Earlier research found 61% of the state's Jewish electorate identified with or leaned toward Democrats. You don't need a $400-an-hour political consultant to recognize the problem here.
The rehabilitation tour has included more than an apology.
Since the primary, Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed has worked to repair relations with Jewish Democrats, softened some of his harshest anti-Israel rhetoric, and put distance between himself and progressive live-streamer Hasan Piker. Piker's latest remarks about American Jews brought condemnation from Democrats.
Maybe Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed is genuinely sorry. People reconsider terrible remarks all the time, and politicians presumably manage it occasionally without first checking precinct data.
Still, timing deserves attention. Before August 4, Jewish Democrats heard, "Hurt people hurt people." After August 4, they got meetings, outreach, softer language, supposed distance from Piker, and an apology.
I say supposed distance from Piker because if you read his statement about the meat sack, he never acknowledged any effort to create daylight between those two crazy kids.
From Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed's site:
The following is a statement from Dr. Abdul El-Sayed in response to Hasan Piker’s comments regarding Michigan congressional candidate Jeremy Moss:
“I believe all Americans deserve the right to advocate for what they believe without fear of violence. This is particularly true for communities that have been intimidated for their beliefs in the past.
“My commitment to Jewish safety is the same as my commitment to the safety of my own daughters. Antisemitism is a scourge, and we need to address it in all its forms. And I stand against any rhetoric that puts the community at risk.
“But I want to be crystal clear, nobody speaks for this campaign besides me and my campaign spokespeople.
“And while politicians and pundits try to make this race about a Twitch streamer, we’re going to be talking about gas, groceries, good schools, and healthcare. Because that’s what Michiganders keep asking about. It’s why I’m fighting to get money out of politics, money in your pocket, and Medicare for All.”
One Jewish Democrat who attended Saturday's meeting said she had previously been a reluctant voter. After hearing him apologize, she said she would enthusiastically vote for him.
I'd love to sell this lady a covered bridge in Iowa.
Jewish voters can forgive Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed if they choose, but they can also remember when he decided an apology was necessary.
Funny how much clearer things become after the primary.
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