Abdul El-Sayed was on Jesse Watters Primetime on Monday night, and if he proved anything, it’s that he’s not ready for primetime. For someone who presents himself as unapologetic about his beliefs, he sure dodged a lot of questions and said some really absurd things. The Democrat establishment already seems to have written off this race since El-Sayed became their party’s nominee, and it’s easy to understand why. The question is, did El-Sayed ruin any chance he had due to his performance in this interview?
Let’s take a look at what happened.
El-Sayed has called for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). When Watters asked him what should replace it, El-Sayed pointed to the old Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), the agency ICE absorbed in 2003. It’s the kind of answer that proves how uninformed he is. INS was ICE with different branding. INS carried firearms, apprehended illegal aliens, and removed them from the country, the same core functions ICE performs today. The real difference, Watters said, is that the radical left never organized protests against INS agents the way it does against ICE.
El-Sayed even dodged on Sharia law.
🚨 WOW... ABDUL EL-SAYED ROASTED FOR SAYING IT'S "WHITE SUPREMACY" TO OPPOSE SHARIA LAW 🚨
— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) August 25, 2026
MUST WATCH 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/TSUuLGd1p1
The interview got stranger when Watters asked whether the government should regulate transgender medical procedures for children. El-Sayed, a physician by training, answered by comparing gender surgery to circumcision. "Do you really want to have this conversation? Are you circumcised?" El-Sayed asked. When Watters didn't answer right away, El-Sayed pressed him again. "Jesse, are you?" "Yeah, yeah, but I mean, that's a personal question — doctor," Watters replied. Watters then had to point out, on air, that circumcision is not castration, something a physician should have understood.
So, @AbdulElSayed literally tried to equate circumcision with transing boys. This guy is really sick.
— Matt Margolis (@mattmargolis) August 25, 2026
pic.twitter.com/4PhWFu9RRR
El-Sayed also compared ICE to "tyranny,” then argued that because there were fewer illegal aliens under INS, that proves "ICE was not working." Seriously? Illegal crossings surged under Joe Biden, whose administration rolled back enforcement and let millions of migrants into the country long before ICE ever touched them. Blaming ICE for a border crisis created before agents got involved is a dodge.
JESSE WATTERS : You want to abolish ICE. Who is going to deport the criminal aliens from the country?
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) August 25, 2026
ABDUL EL-SAYED: You and I both know that we've long before we ever had ICE, we had INS. We were able to enforce our immigration policies without shooting people in the face.… pic.twitter.com/JX4mG3eAsT
Watters pressed him further on Biden’s border crisis. El-Sayed tried to shift blame to Customs and Border Protection. However, deportation of anyone who enters illegally is still an ICE function, no matter which agency processes them at the line. President Trump showed how quickly his administration could secure the border almost as soon as he took office, a fact El-Sayed had no real answer for.
JESSE WATTERS : You want to abolish ICE. Who is going to deport the criminal aliens from the country?
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) August 25, 2026
ABDUL EL-SAYED: You and I both know that we've long before we ever had ICE, we had INS. We were able to enforce our immigration policies without shooting people in the face.… pic.twitter.com/JX4mG3eAsT
On another topic, Watters asked a simple question: How much would El-Sayed's Medicare for All plan cost the average American? El-Sayed dodged it entirely, which isn't surprising, given that he has previously admitted, in an unguarded moment, that the plan would require higher taxes. This is what the radical left does. They talk about these big, transformative plans, yet they have no idea how to fund or implement them.
WATTERS: You say you want socialized health care. Abdul, how much is that going to cost?
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) August 25, 2026
EL-SAYED: It’s going to cost the average Michigander a whole lot less than they pay right now.
WATTERS: I have a feeling, Abdul, you don’t even know how much money the government spends… pic.twitter.com/eTGA7Zv0NJ
Asked whether he once said he wants to replace the Second Amendment with a "right to healthcare," El-Sayed did not deny saying it. He just shrugged. "I think more people are worried about whether or not they can see a doctor than whether or not they can have a gun," El-Sayed said.
The candidate revealed that he understands he can’t go full-on socialist while running in a purple state. When Watters accused him of dodging the question, El-Sayed said he was "fine" with people owning "hunting rifles." But owning a hunting rifle is not the same as supporting the Second Amendment. And he knows that.
WATTERS: “You don’t wanna replace the second amendment, do you?”
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 25, 2026
EL-SAYED: “I think more people are worried about whether or not they can see a doctor than whether or not they can have a gun.”
WATTERS: “You’re dodging the question.”
EL-SAYED: "I'm just saying." pic.twitter.com/CMnLtVpMFH
Asked about previously calling the NFL racist, El-Sayed deflected by complaining about ticket prices instead. Virtually every chance he had to own up to his own positions, he dodged. I’ve said before this is exactly what the left does. They pretend to be something they’re not to get elected. El-Sayed is doing just that.
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It was a rough outing for El-Sayed, and the clips are not flattering. But will it actually move the race? His supporters already know what they're getting. The voters who matter are the moderates and independents in the middle of the state, the ones who decide competitive Michigan elections. El-Sayed will likely stick to friendlier interviews from here and steer clear of Fox — at least for a while.
But the key here isn’t so much the interview as what the interview tells us. The best way to defeat him is to use his own words against him until the voters see who he really is.
