During a Zeteo interview aired on Wednesday, left-wing broadcaster Mehdi Hasan pressed Abdul El-Sayed, a Democrat running in a closely watched Michigan Senate primary, over why he had described himself as a "physician" despite not holding a valid state medical licence in either New York or Michigan. The exchange matters because it saw a figure on the left, rather than a conservative opponent, directly challenge the candidate's honesty during a competitive Democratic contest.

Hasan noted that El-Sayed's rivals had attacked him for using the term "physician" rather than simply "doctor", and asked whether he wished he had avoided the controversy. El-Sayed sought to redirect the conversation towards healthcare access and education, saying the issue was not his own credentials but whether children receive a good education. When Hasan countered that voters might feel it was also about whether he "told the truth", El-Sayed defended his record as Detroit's former health director, arguing he had helped provide healthcare and eliminate medical debt for more people than many doctors do in clinical practice.