El-Sayed’s resurfaced Mackinac comments spark GOP criticism in Senate race

Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed is facing criticism after a 2020 documentary clip resurfaced showing him saying he "hates" Mackinac Island. The clip, filmed during his unsuccessful 2018 run for governor, resurfaced in a report by The Midwesterner and spread widely on social media this week.

In the footage, El-Sayed says, "I hate Mackinac so much," and jokes that the island would become "the summer home" if he won the governor's race, an apparent reference to the governor's official summer residence located there. He also says in the clip that he has "hated" the island every time he has visited.

Republican figures criticized the comments online, including National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesperson Sarah Gallagher and former Michigan GOP gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon. Some commentators, including journalist Brad LaPlante, argued the remarks were taken out of context, saying El-Sayed was referring to the Mackinac Policy Conference rather than the island itself.

El-Sayed responded Friday afternoon on social media, questioning how the island could be called the "most American" place in Michigan given its ban on cars. His campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

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