El-Sayed Discusses Criticism of Obama in Recent Interview

<p>Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed compared his past criticism of former President Barack Obama to second-guessing a parent during an interview on NBC's <em>Meet the Press</em> on October 8, 2026, weeks before they are scheduled to campaign together in Detroit.</p><p>NBC moderator Kristen Welker asked El-Sayed if he still views Obama's presidency as a failure. In a 2012 essay for HuffPost, El-Sayed stated that Obama "was not the right choice" and that "the list of his failures goes on." El-Sayed acknowledged that Obama was faced with difficult circumstances and did his best.</p><p>El-Sayed referenced his own father, saying, "I wouldn’t have my life but for my dad’s efforts. At the same time, there’s a lot of things about my dad I would do differently, right?" He later remarked that in hindsight, Obama appears to be "a really capable leader" and referred to him as a "mentor."</p><p>Throughout the years, El-Sayed has criticized Obama. At a 2020 panel at the University of Chicago, he stated that the country was not "better off" eight years after Obama's election, despite his admiration for the former president. In a 2017 interview with Vox, he mentioned disagreements with Obama on various issues.</p><p>El-Sayed's campaign clarified that his earlier remarks do not indicate hostility toward Obama. He used a similar analogy in an Instagram video, asking, "Do you love your dad? Do you agree with everything your dad has ever done?" Obama is scheduled to appear with El-Sayed and gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson on October 24, the start of in-person voting in Michigan. El-Sayed is running against Republican Mike Rogers in the November 3 election. A YouGov poll conducted this month showed El-Sayed leading Rogers 49% to 48%, and both candidates exchanged sharp criticisms during a debate in Grand Rapids.</p><p>El-Sayed also expressed regret during the interview regarding his comments made after the Temple Israel synagogue attack in March, stating he wishes he had "thought twice" before making those remarks.</p>