El-Sayed Questions Appeal of Flint During 2016 Talk
Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate from Michigan, raised eyebrows in 2016 when he questioned why anyone would want to live in Flint, Michigan, during a speech at Boston University, which had an audience mostly composed of white students, according to reports.
The former health director of Detroit made these comments while discussing the aftermath of Flint’s water crisis, where lead contamination became a serious issue in 2014. These comments were highlighted by conservative journalist Chuck Ross on the Washington Free Beacon.
During a health policy symposium, El-Sayed reflected on discussions he had with Flint residents about their strong sense of belonging to the city.
“You talk to folks in Flint, they love Flint, right, and you’re like, ‘What the—why?’” he expressed, showing his surprise.
He explained that the residents remained in Flint because it felt like home, drawing parallels to his own move to Detroit. Colleagues had raised eyebrows when he decided to leave Columbia University in New York for another city.
“To Detroit of all places,” he recalled hearing. “If you’re going to California, I get it, but Detroit? Their winters are worse than ours. There’s nothing there.”
El-Sayed, having grown up in a wealthier suburb of Detroit before attending prestigious institutions including the University of Michigan, Columbia, and Oxford, mentioned he felt he had “ruined” his family’s life by making the move to Detroit.
Interestingly, these comments emerged as El-Sayed has criticized his Republican opponent, Mike Rogers, for purchasing a home in Florida after leaving Congress. Financial disclosures reveal that El-Sayed and his wife have properties in India and the United Arab Emirates, including one in a high-end development in Dubai.
Additionally, these statements followed a separate incident in 2020 where El-Sayed was recorded expressing his disdain for Mackinac Island, known for hosting the governor’s summer residence. He later defended his feelings after the footage was brought back into discussion, refuting the notion that Mackinac is “the most American place” in Michigan merely because it prohibits cars.
Rogers quickly capitalized on this clip in a post, stating, “There’s no place like Mackinac,” accompanied by a heart emoji.
The resurfacing of El-Sayed’s comments comes as he gets ready for his first general election debate against Rogers, a race that could be crucial for Senate control. Meanwhile, he has faced challenges in securing support from black voters, and Flint, historically significant as the birthplace of General Motors, has seen a dramatic 36 percent drop in its population since 2000.
