The online backlash against Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed intensified over the weekend after the self-described socialist took aim at second lady Usha Vance in a jab at Vice President JD Vance, prompting fresh concerns about how he might treat women if elected.
According to Fox News, the controversy erupted after El-Sayed, who is challenging Republican former Congressman Mike Rogers, responded to criticism from Vice President Vance over his professed adherence to Sharia law. Vance had told supporters at an Ohio rally that such a legal framework would be utterly foreign to his beloved grandfather, whom he affectionately calls his "Papaw." "El Sayed is now attacking Wives [sic] of US leaders? What a guy," said former Florida state Rep. Ben Graber on X, capturing the incredulity of many conservatives watching the race.
El-Sayed then escalated the exchange with a post widely interpreted as a swipe at Usha Vances Indian heritage, writing, "So do we think JD is taking Usha with him back in time to meet Papaw, or no" The remark immediately drew accusations of racial stereotyping and elitist disdain for Midwestern families, reinforcing long-standing conservative concerns about the cultural contempt often displayed by the progressive left.
El-Sayeds campaign did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital seeking clarification on what he intended to imply with the post. That silence only fueled criticism from Republicans who say the episode reveals a deeper hostility toward both white, rural voters and women who stand in the way of his ideological agenda.
"Why does Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed just assume that all White midwestern grandparents are racist?" asked Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, highlighting what many on the right see as the lefts reflexive tendency to smear ordinary Americans. "If youre a rural White American living in Michigan, just remember El-Sayed believes youre a racist," added commentator Ryan Girdusky, warning voters that the candidates rhetoric betrays a divisive worldview.
Democrats backing Rogers also seized on the moment, underscoring that concerns about El-Sayeds treatment of women are not confined to Republicans. "This is why there were ads in the primary correctly highlighting how sexist and misogynistic Abdul is," said an X account run by Democrats supporting Rogers. "He has so much contempt for women. If youre over the politics of division. Reject Abdul El-Sayed."
Others went further, accusing El-Sayed of the very bigotry he and his allies often project onto conservatives. "You are a racist creep," said journalist Emily Schrader in response to El-Sayed's post, a blunt assessment that resonated with many who see a double standard in how the left polices language and identity.
The candidate also trained his fire on Natalie Harp, a close aide to President Donald Trump, at a time when far-left media figures and Democrats have been peddling innuendo about her relationship with the President. "Natalie, I think hes had a little too much iPad for the week. He needs his rest," El-Sayed wrote, after President Trump blasted him at a rally for campaigning with far-left socialist Hasan Piker, who has said that "America deserved 9/11."
Strategists on the right argued that these attacks reveal not just poor judgment but a fundamental lack of discipline and respect. "This is what Im talking about," said GOP strategist Matt Whitlock, sharing screenshots of the posts targeting Harp and Usha Vance. "Just a bad campaign, bad candidate, bad instincts. Sitting at home on a Saturday morning tweeting bad takes that any normal campaign would shut down."
"He goes after Usha. He goes after Natalie [Harp]. This coward picks on women who are not in his fight. Imagine how he would treat female staffers in the halls of Congress," said Tudor Dixon, a Republican former gubernatorial candidate in Michigan, framing the episode as a character test with real implications for workplace culture on Capitol Hill. Fox News Digital reached out to the vice president's office and a representative for Usha Vance, but did not immediately hear back, leaving El-Sayeds critics to argue that, for now, his own words speak loudest about the kind of leadership he would bring to Washington.
Login