Senator John Fetterman (D-Pa.) referred to Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdulrahman El-Sayed as "Pontiac Platner" after El-Sayed made comments at a campaign event that were interpreted as a critique of Fetterman. A recording from a Zoom call with donors, obtained by Politico, showed El-Sayed expressing frustration with critics of his left-wing policies, specifically mentioning Fetterman. Fetterman responded during an interview with CNBC, stating, "You could call me ‘Senator Shrek’ — whatever — but this guy is really the Pontiac Platner, and now he’s really running to be the head of our emerging pro-Hamas wing here in the party."
El-Sayed has been critical of the Israeli government and shares some policy positions with Graham Platner, who recently withdrew from a Senate bid amid allegations of misconduct. Fetterman expressed confusion over El-Sayed's criticisms, stating, "I'm not really sure what I've really done or voted for that that has offended the little guy so much."
During the Zoom call, El-Sayed indicated he was interested in challenging Fetterman in the primary, saying, "I have no problem with that. I'm looking forward to it." He also dismissed the tradition against primarying sitting senators. El-Sayed's comments included a metaphor about putting an "ogre on a pike" to send a message to others. Fetterman took the comments lightly, noting that comparisons to the character Shrek have been common in memes.
Both candidates support policies such as a single-payer healthcare system and higher taxes on wealthy Americans. El-Sayed has distanced himself from the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), despite having participated in several of their events in the past, stating, "I am not somebody who is a socialist. I believe in capitalism. I just believe that capitalism has to be regulated."