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Abdul El-Sayed shouts at Sky News journalist: ‘I do not care what you think’
Developing story first seen 1 hour ago
The newly added coverage records Abdul El-Sayed telling Sky News correspondent James Matthews, “I do not care what you think”, during a confrontation outside a Detroit polling centre. El-Sayed challenged Matthews’s standing to question him because he was not registered to vote in Michigan, and asked him to stop following him; Matthews replied that the election mattered internationally.
El-Sayed, a Democrat running against Republican Mike Rogers for a Michigan Senate seat, is seeking to become the first Muslim elected to the Senate. His campaign said it raised $2.4 million in one day after former primary rival Haley Stevens endorsed Rogers. The race has also featured attacks questioning El-Sayed’s loyalty to the US, which he has called shameful.
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In short
- El-Sayed clashed with Sky News correspondent James Matthews in Detroit.
- He challenged the reporter’s interest because he could not vote in Michigan.
- His campaign reported a $2.4 million fundraising day.
How this story developed
- 25 minutes ago Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic candidate for the US Senate in Michigan, clashed with Sky News correspondent James Matthews outside a Detroit polling centre.
- 38 minutes ago The newly added coverage records Abdul El-Sayed telling Sky News correspondent James Matthews, “I do not care what you think”, during a confrontation outside a Detroit polling centre.
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The case for
El-Sayed could reasonably argue that a candidate deserves to set boundaries when a journalist follows him outside a polling centre, and that a reporter who cannot vote in Michigan should not presume to speak for its electorate. His sharp reply may reflect frustration with coverage of a consequential campaign that has included attacks on his loyalty to the United States.
The case against
Matthews could reasonably argue that a Senate race with national and international implications is a legitimate subject for scrutiny, regardless of whether the correspondent can vote in Michigan. Challenging a candidate in public can help voters assess how he responds to difficult questions, and the reported exchange does not establish that the journalist’s questioning was improper.
Explained simply
Michigan is a US state whose voters elect two senators to represent them in the national legislature, Congress. The Senate helps make federal laws and approve senior government appointments, so its members can influence decisions affecting the whole country.
Abdul El-Sayed, a Democrat, is running for one of Michigan’s Senate seats against Republican Mike Rogers. El-Sayed is seeking to become the first Muslim elected to the Senate; the campaign has also drawn attention to debates about religion, identity and political loyalty in the United States.
Coverage · 2 sources
Americas Elections Politics World