Abdul El-Sayed, a socialist-backed candidate for the U.S. Senate in Michigan, called the American political system a "disease" during an event Sunday in Grand Rapids, moments after professing his love for the country where he was raised.
El-Sayed spoke at The People v. The Powerful tour stop at DeVos Performance Hall alongside Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. The three criticized President Donald Trump, party leaders, corporations and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
What the Left Is Saying
Supporters of El-Sayed's campaign echoed his framing that systemic issues rather than individual politicians are the root cause of problems facing Americans. Rep. Ocasio-Cortez told the crowd, "You deserve a politics that treats the disease and not the symptoms," minutes before El-Sayed delivered his remarks.
El-Sayed argued that Trump represents broader structural problems in American governance. "Donald Trump is not, himself, the disease of our politics. He's just the worst symptom of the disease of our politics," he said. "The disease? It's the system that allows corporations and billionaires and special interests like AIPAC to buy and sell politicians to rig the system against us."
On healthcare, El-Sayed called for eliminating medical debt, claiming the nation's roughly $225 billion in medical debt could be erased for about $2.25 billion since it can be purchased "for a penny on the dollar." He also called ICE a "rogue agency" that should not exist, saying the agency has "nothing to do with immigration" and instead normalizes paramilitary forces.
What the Right Is Saying
Critics of El-Sayed's remarks argued that characterizing American democracy as diseased undermines the nation's institutions. Conservative commentators pointed to his comments alongside Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders as evidence of a coordinated progressive message seeking to delegitimize existing political structures.
Republicans have defended ICE as essential to border enforcement and national security, rejecting calls for abolition. Party strategists noted that El-Sayed's criticism of AIPAC and corporate influence mirrors messaging from other progressive candidates who argue the current system is structurally corrupt.
Conservative critics also questioned whether someone calling American politics a "disease" should hold a seat in the Senate, arguing such rhetoric undermines faith in democratic institutions that have governed the country for nearly 250 years.
What the Numbers Show
El-Sayed is running in Michigan's Senate race as a progressive alternative to more moderate Democratic candidates. He has received backing from national progressive organizations aligned with Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders. The event drew thousands to Grand Rapids, reflecting significant grassroots enthusiasm for his campaign.
Michigan's Senate seat being contested in 2026 could influence the balance of power in the chamber. The state voted for Trump in 2024, making it a competitive general election battleground regardless of which Democrat emerges from the primary.
El-Sayed is a physician and former public health official who noted he received his education through public universities and NIH funding, arguments his campaign has used to advocate for expanded government programs.
The Bottom Line
The remarks illustrate the growing influence of progressive voices within the Democratic Party and their willingness to critique American institutions in stark terms. El-Sayed's comments come as he seeks to differentiate himself in a competitive Senate primary where healthcare access and systemic reform are central themes. How such rhetoric plays with general election voters in a state that backed Trump will be a key test for his candidacy.