A resurfaced documentary clip showing Michigan’s newly crowned Democratic Senate nominee, Abdul El-Sayed, declaring he “hates” Mackinac Island has sparked a wave of online criticism, just days after he won his party’s primary to face Republican Congressman Mike Rogers in November.
The footage, taken from the 2020 documentary “How to Fix a Primary” chronicling El-Sayed’s unsuccessful 2018 campaign for Michigan governor, shows him walking through the car-free island as horse-drawn carriages pass by. “I hate Mackinac so much,” El-Sayed says in the clip, according to the Washington Times, which was first posted by Michigan outlet The Midwesterner on Friday.
What Exactly Did El-Sayed Say About The Island?
In the footage, El-Sayed goes on to reference the governor’s official summer residence located on the island, joking about what its fate would be had he won his 2018 race. “It’s funny cause, like, if we win, this is gonna be, like, the summer home,” he says, before adding, “I’m just gonna be like every time I’ve ever come here, I’ve hated it. Why am I here,” according to The Post Millennial. Mackinac Island, known for its ban on motor vehicles, Victorian architecture and fudge shops, was named the country’s Best Summer Travel Destination by USA Today readers for the third consecutive year in 2025.
How Have Critics And Commentators Responded?
The clip quickly drew sharp reaction from conservative commentators and Republican-aligned figures online. Federalist editor-in-chief Mollie Hemingway wrote on X that “the rising stars of the Democrat Party loathe America and seek to destroy it,” according to Fox News. Outkick founder Clay Travis offered a more personal rebuttal, writing, “I got engaged on this island. It’s an awesome place. Honestly, I don’t understand how anyone could hate northern Michigan in summer.”
How Has El-Sayed Responded To The Backlash?
El-Sayed pushed back directly against critics amplifying the clip, responding on X to a post from the account “End Wokeness.” “Not sure about ‘End Wokeness,’ but I don’t think the most ‘American place in MI’ can be a place that…bans cars,” he wrote, according to Yahoo News. His campaign did not immediately respond to a separate request for comment from the Daily Wire regarding the remarks.
Does This Echo A Similar Controversy Elsewhere?
The episode follows a broadly similar pattern seen earlier this year involving another Democratic candidate. During a special election for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, nominee Aftyn Behn faced comparable criticism after telling reporters, “I hate the city, I hate the bachelorettes, I hate the pedal taverns, I hate country music, I hate all of the things that make Nashville apparently an ‘it’ city to the rest of the country,” according to the Daily Wire.
El-Sayed’s win over Congresswoman Haley Stevens in Tuesday’s Democratic primary has already positioned him as a national bellwether for the party’s progressive wing, and he now heads into a general election contest against Rogers with the resurfaced remarks likely to feature in Republican messaging in the months ahead.v
