{"id":31777,"date":"2026-08-08T02:16:43","date_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:16:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=31777"},"modified":"2026-08-08T02:16:43","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:16:43","slug":"abdul-el-sayed-faces-backlash-over-resurfaced-mackinac-island-clip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=31777","title":{"rendered":"Abdul El-Sayed faces backlash over resurfaced Mackinac Island clip"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div id=\"beyondwords-wrapper\" data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"beyondwords-wrapper\">\n<p><span class=\"label-bg\">NEW<\/span>You can now listen to Fox News articles!\n  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"speakable\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_229059\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/us\/us-regions\/midwest\/michigan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Michigan<\/a> Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed is facing pushback online over a resurfaced clip in which he says he &#8220;hates&#8221; arguably the most treasured location in the state.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"speakable\">In the documentary clip from 2020, which <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_229060\" href=\"https:\/\/www.themidwesterner.news\/2026\/08\/abdul-el-sayed-i-hate-mackinac-so-much-dem-senate-candidate-rips-on-top-michigan-destination\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">resurfaced<\/a> in a story by The Midwesterner Friday, El-Sayed walks through Michigan\u2019s Mackinac Island during his failed run for governor.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;I hate Mackinac so much,&#8221; El-Sayed said of one of the state\u2019s most recognizable vacation spots, which sits on an island in Lake Huron between Michigan&#8217;s Upper and Lower peninsula&#8217;s.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;It\u2019s funny cause, like, if we win, this is gonna be, like, the summer home,&#8221; El-Sayed added, referencing the governor\u2019s summer residence on the island.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_229061\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/dem-senate-hopeful-abdul-el-sayed-recounts-smashing-vodka-bottle-after-beard-criticism\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>DEM SENATE HOPEFUL ABDUL EL-SAYED RECOUNTS SMASHING VODKA BOTTLE AFTER BEARD CRITICISM<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/343\/192\/sayed-mackinac.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/686\/384\/sayed-mackinac.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/672\/378\/sayed-mackinac.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1344\/756\/sayed-mackinac.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/931\/523\/sayed-mackinac.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1862\/1046\/sayed-mackinac.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/720\/405\/sayed-mackinac.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1440\/810\/sayed-mackinac.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1200\/675\/sayed-mackinac.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"El-Sayed next to a photo of Mackinac Island\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>The Michigan Democratic Senate nominee is facing criticism online over a resurfaced clip of him saying he hates one of the state&#8217;s most cherished locations.<\/span> <span>(Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;I\u2019m just gonna be like every time I\u2019ve ever come here. I\u2019ve hated it. Why am I here?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">The clip went viral on social media Thursday with conservatives blasting El-Sayed for looking down on the quaint village town.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_229062\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/michigan-senate-race-el-sayeds-ties-extremist-fuel-antisemitism-concerns-among-jewish-voters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>MICHIGAN SENATE RACE: EL-SAYED\u2019S TIES TO EXTREMIST FUEL ANTISEMITISM CONCERNS AMONG JEWISH VOTERS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/343\/192\/abdul-el-sayed-michigan-fox-news.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/686\/384\/abdul-el-sayed-michigan-fox-news.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/672\/378\/abdul-el-sayed-michigan-fox-news.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1344\/756\/abdul-el-sayed-michigan-fox-news.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/931\/523\/abdul-el-sayed-michigan-fox-news.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1862\/1046\/abdul-el-sayed-michigan-fox-news.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/720\/405\/abdul-el-sayed-michigan-fox-news.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1440\/810\/abdul-el-sayed-michigan-fox-news.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1200\/675\/abdul-el-sayed-michigan-fox-news.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"Abdul El-Sayed speaks during Detroit press conference.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed claps during a news conference in front of the Spirit of Detroit statue Aug. 5, 2026, in Detroit.<\/span> <span>(Finn Gomez\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;The rising stars of the Democrat Party loathe America and seek to destroy it,&#8221; Federalist editor-in-chief Mollie Hemingway <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MZHemingway\/status\/2085764366503157981?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">posted on X.<\/a> &#8220;And unlike their spiritual forebears, they see less of a reason to hide it for political gain. &#8220;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;I got engaged on this island,&#8221; Outkick founder Clay Travis <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ClayTravis\/status\/2085736706301411530?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">posted on X<\/a>. &#8220;It\u2019s an awesome place. Honestly, I don\u2019t understand how anyone could hate northern Michigan in summer, absolutely beautiful, most underrated spot in the country.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;Wow hating Mackinac!&#8221; former Trump advisor Steve Cortes <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/CortesSteve\/status\/2085780701157167252?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">posted on X<\/a>. &#8220;A place that is so iconic to Michigan, to America. Abdul has a dark heart.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;Abdul el-Sayed is a repellent terror-loving anti-Semite&#8211;and that&#8217;s not even the worst thing about him,&#8221; Commentary Magazine editor John Podhoretz <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/jpodhoretz\/status\/2085751340651688242?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">posted on X. <\/a>&#8220;He hates Mackinac Island, one of the most wonderful places on earth. A person who hates Mackinac Island has had his soul ripped from his body.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\"><a href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.onelink.me\/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&amp;af_dp=foxnewsaf%3A%2F%2F&amp;af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fapps-products\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div data-layout-index=\"5\" class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/343\/192\/mackinacislandistock-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/686\/384\/mackinacislandistock-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/672\/378\/mackinacislandistock-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/1344\/756\/mackinacislandistock-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/931\/523\/mackinacislandistock-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/1862\/1046\/mackinacislandistock-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/720\/405\/mackinacislandistock-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/1440\/810\/mackinacislandistock-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/1200\/675\/mackinacislandistock-1.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"Visitors on Mackinac Island\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"caption\">\n<p><span>Visitors can also take in the sights on Market Street by bike. There are no cars allowed on Mackinac Island.<\/span> <span>(Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;He would rather summer at his property in Dubai,&#8221; National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesperson Sarah Gallagher <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/sgallz_\/status\/2085752603783111128?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">posted on X.<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;Bro has no soul,&#8221; On Brand Strategies communications associate Carly Moran <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/realCarlyMoran\/status\/2085753563859558496?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">posted on X<\/a>. &#8220;It\u2019s literally Heaven on Earth.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;Abdul speaks fondly of his <a data-omtr-intcmp=\"fnc_politics_article_main-content_article-body_6_229070\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/dem-senate-hopeful-abdul-el-sayed-recounts-smashing-vodka-bottle-after-beard-criticism\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Egyptian summers<\/a> yet he shows utter disdain for one of Michigan\u2019s most beautiful summer destinations,&#8221; former Michigan GOP gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon told Fox News Digital. &#8220;He wants his history to be respected but belittles Michigander\u2019s favorite memories. He doesn\u2019t respect us, and, therefore, he cannot represent us.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;Abdul El-Sayed hot mic: &#8216;I hate Mackinac so much,'&#8221; conservative influencer account End Wokeness <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/EndWokeness\/status\/2085757264619508051?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">posted on X<\/a>. &#8220;This is the most American place in MI.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Some, including journalist Brad LaPlante, defended El-Sayed\u2019s comments as being taken &#8220;out of context.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">&#8220;El-Sayed was talking about the Mackinac Policy Conference, an annual gathering of policy pros and insiders that he argues brings together well-connected and powerful people and shuts most voters out of politics,&#8221; LaPlante wrote.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Others weren&#8217;t so sure, including Michigan Young Republicans board member James Asher, who responded in a <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/JamestAsher\/status\/2085803143669952797?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">post on X<\/a>, &#8220;Brad, are you dizzy from the way you\u2019re spinning this?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Mackinac Island is beloved in large part because it has retained a character increasingly rare in American tourist destinations. Motor vehicles have been largely prohibited since the 1890s, leaving visitors to travel by foot, bicycle or the island\u2019s famous horse-drawn carriages.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">The island has Victorian homes, historic hotels, waterfront streets, natural scenery and celebrated fudge shops which draw more than a million visitors from around the world each summer, while landmarks such as the Grand Hotel and Fort Mackinac have helped make the island an enduring symbol of Michigan history and culture.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">Fox News Digital reached out to El-Sayed\u2019s campaign for comment but did not receive a response.<\/p>\n<p data-layout-index=\"5\">El-Sayed <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AbdulElSayed\/status\/2085802461273432560?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">responded<\/a> to the post from End Wokeness on Friday afternoon saying, &#8220;Not sure about &#8216;End Wokeness,&#8217; but I don\u2019t think the most &#8216;American place in MI&#8217; can be a place that\u2026bans cars.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p> <!----> <!----> <\/p>\n<div class=\"article-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-bio\">\n<p>Andrew Mark Miller is a reporter at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to AndrewMark.Miller@Fox.com.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed is facing pushback online over a resurfaced clip in which he says he &#8220;hates&#8221; arguably the most treasured location in the state. In the documentary clip from 2020, which resurfaced in a story by The Midwesterner Friday, El-Sayed walks through Michigan\u2019s&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":31778,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/sayed-mackinac.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31777","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-political-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31777","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=31777"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31777\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/31778"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=31777"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=31777"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=31777"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}