Left-Wing Host Corners El Sayed Over ‘Physician’ Label, Dem Senate Hopeful Struggles Explaining [WATCH]

Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed faced pointed questions from left-wing host Mehdi Hasan during a Zeteo interview on Wednesday as the closely watched Democratic primary continues to draw scrutiny over El-Sayed’s use of the title “physician” and the timing of his personal financial disclosures, as reported by Fox News.

Hasan opened the discussion by referencing criticism from El-Sayed’s Democratic rivals regarding his repeated description of himself as a physician despite not holding a valid state medical license in either Michigan or New York.

“You got attacked by your rivals for calling yourself a physician, not just a doctor, even though you don’t have a valid state medical license in New York or Michigan, which apparently is what you need legally to call yourself a physician,” Hasan said during the interview.

“Do you wish you’d just stuck to calling yourself a doctor, which you are, to avoid all of this controversy and attacks on your physician status?”

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El-Sayed responded by shifting the discussion away from his credentials and toward policy issues.

“You know, at the end of the day, it’s not about whether or not I’m a physician or a doctor,” El-Sayed said. “It’s not about my education. It’s about whether or not your kid gets a good education.”

Hasan then followed up by questioning whether the issue involved honesty rather than education.

“That’s a good line, but people would say it’s also about did you tell the truth?” Hasan said.

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The exchange centered on criticism that El-Sayed has referred to himself as a physician throughout his Senate campaign and in public biographies, even though records indicate he has never held a medical license in Michigan or New York.

El-Sayed defended his background by pointing to his work in public health rather than clinical medicine.

“Well, I would say that I was the health director for the city of Detroit, and I’ve done more to provide more people healthcare or eliminate their medical debt than most doctors have done in their practice career,” El-Sayed said.

“So, I’m proud of the work that I did.”

He also addressed his medical education, explaining that he chose a different professional path after graduating from Columbia University.

“I took my medical education in a different direction,” El-Sayed said.

“And I did graduate from a school that’s literally called Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons. So, you know, you can go have that argument with Columbia University if you’d like.”

Fox News Digital reported that El-Sayed’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the issue.

Hasan also questioned El-Sayed about his decision to delay filing his personal financial disclosure, noting that Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens of Michigan had criticized both El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers over financial transparency during the campaign.

“You sought an extension through Aug. 13, I believe, which is after the primary,” Hasan said.

“Was this to avoid transparency with your voters? Why not release them before the election?”

El-Sayed attributed the extension to complications involving his family’s taxes and overseas property holdings.

“No, just taxes get complicated,” El-Sayed said. “My wife and her family own property abroad, and so, getting all those tax forms is a thing.”

According to Bridge Michigan, El-Sayed filed an extension that delays his 2026 personal financial disclosure until Aug. 13, which falls after Michigan’s Aug. 4 Democratic Senate primary.

Bridge Michigan also reported that Stevens requested 90-day extensions for her personal financial disclosures every year from 2019 through 2025, although she did not seek an extension this year.

Stevens’ campaign said El-Sayed had publicly committed during a WOOD-TV debate to release his financial disclosures before voters cast their ballots in the Aug. 4 primary.

Following that commitment, Haley Stevens, for Senate communications director Arik Wolk, called on El-Sayed to release the records immediately.

“Now, the clock is ticking. Abdul needs to make good on his promise to Michiganders and release his PFD immediately. What is he hiding?” Wolk said.

The Democratic primary between former Wayne County Health Department Director Abdul El-Sayed and Rep. Haley Stevens is scheduled for Aug. 4, 2026, with the winner advancing in the race for Michigan’s U.S. Senate seat.

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