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A Michigan Democrat running for the U.S. Senate is under fire after a leaked audio report shows him explaining why he shouldn’t go public with the death of Iran’s former Supreme Leader Khamenei because the people of Dearborn, Michigan, are “sorrowful.”
Progressive Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, according to report from the Washington Free Beacon, was recorded at a staff meeting strategizing how to deal with the death of Iran’s leader after he was killed during a US and Israeli attack on the country.
“I’m going to go straight to pedophilia, frankly,” said El-Sayed, who was heard talking about his response when pressed by a reporter. “I’ll be like, ‘The pedophile president decides he doesn’t like front page news, so he decides to take us to another war.’
El-Sayed also told his team, referring to the number of important Muslims in Dearborn, “I also want to remind you that there are a lot of people in Dearborn who are sad today. So, like, I just don’t want to comment on Khamenei at all. Like, I don’t think it’s even appropriate to touch on that.”
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Abdul El-Sayed attends the Detroit Association of Black Organizations (DABO) Christmas Party 2025 at the Bridge Center on Dec. 16, 2025, Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Monica Morgan/Getty Images)
The report sparked recent backlash from Republicans and conservatives on social media.
“It speaks volumes for the level of fervor within the El-Sayed coalition here,” Fox News political analyst Josh Kraushaar said. posted on X.
“Democrats have a wealth of resources to choose from when choosing which of their Senate members is the craziest, the most radical and the most anti-American,” GOP Sen. Bernie Moreno posted on X.
“Beyond parody,” said Conservative spokesman Steve Guest posted on X.
“This is crazy,” said GOP consultant Nathan Brand posted on X.
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Abdul El-Sayed, who represents the US Senate from Michigan, was endorsed by Bernie Sanders and accepted the comparison between him and Zohran Mamdani. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
“Anyone who is upset that the Ayatollah is dead should be deported,” said Jason Bedrick, Senior Researcher at the Heritage Foundation. posted on X.
“It’s a shame,” the Republican Jewish Coalition posted on X.
In a send to Xformer Biden-Harris replacement Kevin Walling called the news “inappropriate.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to El-Sayed’s campaign for comment.
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In a statement sent to the Washington Free Beacon, attorneys for the campaign at the Sandler Reiff law firm said the recordings were “obtained without the campaign’s permission” and “without the knowledge that people were being recorded.”
“The campaign is considering legal options for the person in question,” the statement added.
El-Sayed, who is Muslim, recently faced controversy for agreeing to collaborate with Hasan Piker, a left-wing broadcaster who once said “America deserved 9/11.”
Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary will be held on Aug. 4 as El-Sayed squares off against Sen. Mallory McMorrow of Michigan and Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens to replace Sen. Outgoing Gary Peters.
The Cook Political Report rates the race as a “toss up” heading into the November midterms.
