Anti-Israel Michigan Senate Candidate Abdul El-Sayed Faces Bizarre Live Interview Question on Circumcision

Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in Michigan known for his strong anti-Israel views, was involved in a strange exchange during a live Fox News interview on August 25, 2026. The discussion, initially about gender-affirming surgeries for minors, took an unexpected turn when El-Sayed asked host Jesse Watters if he was circumcised. Watters was visibly taken aback and responded by distinguishing circumcision from castration, prompting El-Sayed to criticize government intervention in such sensitive medical matters.

The interview further escalated as Watters questioned El-Sayed about his stance on transgender athletes competing in women's sports. El-Sayed expressed frustration, accusing Watters of avoiding issues important to Michigan voters and calling the question "crazy." He declined to provide specifics on his healthcare plan costs or the U.S. budget and avoided explaining his previous claims that the NFL is racist.

El-Sayed's political positions combine support for detaining some undocumented immigrants with calls to abolish the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), proposing instead a return to a pre-9/11 immigration agency model. Watters criticized this as bureaucratic evasion.

El-Sayed, who defeated moderate Democrat Haley Stevens in the primaries, is set to face Republican Mike Rogers, a former congressman and FBI agent, in a race that could determine Senate control. El-Sayed is one of the most outspoken critics of Israel among recent Democratic primary winners, having refused to recognize Israel as a Jewish state and comparing it to Hamas, labeling it a "rogue state." The race has been described as a battle for the soul of the Democratic Party, pitting a far-left candidate against a centrist opponent.