Pelosi Calls Abdul El-Sayed's Israel Position 'Wrong' Days Before Michigan Senate Vote
Democrats in Michigan were hoping to close out their Senate race on a note of unity. Then Nancy Pelosi weighed in.
The former House speaker said a key foreign policy position held by Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed is simply "wrong," handing Republicans fresh ammunition days before voters go to the polls.
'It's Wrong. It's Wrong.'
Pelosi made the comments during an interview with Donny Deutsch on his show "On Brand." Deutsch, speaking as a Jewish voter, named El-Sayed and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani as Democrats whose views on Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state troubled him.
Pelosi did not defend them. "No, it's more than concerning," she said. "It's wrong. It's wrong."
She then drew a line between those views and Democrats currently serving in Congress, putting distance between her colleagues and the nominee.
'We'll See If He Gets Elected'
Rather than offering El-Sayed any support, Pelosi pointed to the unsettled race. "This new person in Michigan, we'll see if he gets elected," she said.
She did offer some hope that Mamdani would succeed as mayor, while acknowledging she disagrees with some of his statements. El-Sayed got no similar encouragement.
Pelosi did not endorse Republican Mike Rogers, tell voters to oppose El-Sayed or suggest the party was pulling its support. But coming from one of the most recognizable Democrats in America, the rebuke stung.
The Position That Sparked It
The disagreement centers on El-Sayed's refusal to affirm that Israel should exist specifically as a Jewish state.
El-Sayed frames his view around equal rights and opposition to any government favoring one religious identity. Critics say that amounts to denying the Jewish people's right to self-determination, which makes the issue especially sensitive for voters who care about Israel's future.
Fox News reported that representatives for Pelosi, El-Sayed and Mamdani did not provide additional comment.
Bad Timing for Democrats
The comments landed as Democrats were trying to stage a public show of unity after Michigan's bruising August primary. El-Sayed had planned a joint appearance with former rival Rep. Haley Stevens at a Detroit church on the final weekend of the campaign.
That effort has since unraveled. El-Sayed's campaign asked Stevens to stay away, and on Sunday Stevens went further and endorsed Rogers.
Rogers Gets a Gift
For Rogers, Pelosi's words are more valuable than any attack ad. Criticism from conservatives can be waved off as partisan. Criticism from the Democrats' longtime leader is much harder to dismiss.
President Trump and Vice President JD Vance have also gone after El-Sayed in the campaign's final stretch. El-Sayed has hit back hard, including challenging critics to a lie detector test and mocking Vance at a rally.
The race has turned into a heated battle over national security, the economy, foreign policy and El-Sayed's progressive record. With control of the Senate at stake, Democrats needed every voice in their party pulling in the same direction. Pelosi's was not.