With the Michigan Senate race and the 2026 midterms entering their final hours, Abdul El-Sayed sat down with CBS News’ 60 Minutes. He was interviewed by Ross Douthat. Mike Rogers was also interviewed. It’s a fair segment; Douthat, formerly of The New York Times, was considered more conservative-ish than the paper’s opinion writers. He did ask El-Sayed about Israel’s right to exist, and this answer truly says it all (via CBS News):
Abdul El-Sayed, running as a Democrat to represent Michigan in the Senate, discusses Palestinian and Israeli issues with 60 Minutes’ Ross Douthat. https://t.co/0tUeaUFShn
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) November 2, 2026
Abdul El-Sayed: I don't ever get the question of, "Does Palestine have the right to exist?"
Ross Douthat: Does Palestine have the right to exist?
Abdul El-Sayed: Yes.
Ross Douthat: Does Israel have--
Abdul El-Sayed: And--Ross Douthat: --the right to exist?
Abdul El-Sayed: S-- yes. If there is a shared understanding--
Ross Douthat: Wait. You said-- you said--
Abdul El-Sayed: Let me just-- let me just-- let me just-- understand. I believe-- and this is the-- this is the problem with this debate. We start from where we sit rather than start from principles. I believe in equal rights to peace, dignity, and self-determination for Palestinians and Jewish Israelis alike. If the Palestinian people decide and the Israeli people decide that they want two states for two people, and they decide that on equal terms, I'm for it. If they decide that they want one state shared in a different way, I'm for that.
That’s a cop-out ‘answer.’ And that waffling reply says everything about this man, Israel, and his acolytes. There’s a reason why he can’t denounce antisemitic ads.
BONUS: El-Sayed's response to men in women's locker rooms was also atrocious.
.@AbdulElSayed says it’s ok for MEN to be in girl’s locker rooms. Why? “Well because they are going to find out about it on the internet anyway” Completely unacceptable. https://t.co/eXeh70kkeP
— Mike Rogers (@MikeRogersForMI) November 2, 2026