Democratic Michigan senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed had a heated exchange with a Sky News reporter hours before his election victory. (Reuters/Dieu-Nalio Chery TPX)
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Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed, D-Mich., went viral this week for his latest altercation with a reporter, highlighting a history of tense exchanges with the press.
El-Sayed had a combative exchange with Sky News journalist James Matthews just hours before his victory in Tuesday’s midterm elections. The exchange began when the British journalist attempted to question El-Sayed, but it was not the first time El-Sayed appeared to lose his temper, interrupt a reporter, or respond abruptly to a reporter.
Tim Young, media officer at the Heritage Foundation, is well aware that President Donald Trump also has a long history of criticism of journalists, but he believes the situations are “completely different.”
“El-Sayed is angry at the media asking real questions about him and his relationship with organizations like the Muslim Brotherhood. He legitimately doesn’t want to answer those questions, so he snaps,” Young told Fox News Digital.
ABDUL EL-SAYED SETS HAND ON SKY NEWS REPORTER IN HOSTILE CONFRONTATION HOURS BEFORE ELECTION VICTORY
Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed, Democrat of Michigan, had several tense exchanges with reporters before the midterm elections. (Salwan Georges/Getty Images)
“Trump gets asked the same narrative questions all the time, and then watches networks create false narratives about him on air, which makes him angry,” Young continued. “The two are not the same.”
El-Sayed recently chastised a reporter for asking him about Michigan Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens, sarcastically saying, “You’re really asking the questions people want to hear.”
“Ask me a serious question,” he added.
El-Sayed also became angered by NBC News anchor Tom Llamas in October after Llamas questioned him about allegations regarding his family’s ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.
“It’s funny to me. I was born in 1984, down the street in Rochester Hills. I grew up here in Michigan, I went to the University of Michigan, I rebuilt this city’s health department, I ran this county’s health department, and you want to ask me about Egypt in 1970? Are you serious?” he retorted.
El-Sayed then accused Llamas of using “hearsay evidence from a tweet” and suggested the “NBC Nightly News” anchor was “not serious” before asking, “Are you implying that somehow I was lying?”
EL-SAYED MOCKS TRUMP, VANCE AND ROGERS IN GALLANT VICTORY SPEECH SIGNALS COMBATIVE TONE IN SENATE
Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed, D-Mich., speaks to supporters during his final rally at the Majestic Theater Nov. 2, 2026, in Detroit. (Salwan Georges/Getty Images)
That same month, El-Sayed silenced Free Press reporter Audrey Fahlberg for asking about private comments he made about leaked audio about some Michiganders mourning the death of Ayatollah Khamenei.
El-Sayed insisted he would answer questions about gas and grocery prices, but refused to “talk about leaked audio” and accused Fahlberg of looking for clickbait.
“I’m just not interested in this dog and pony show,” El-Sayed said. “Ask intelligent questions.”
Fahlberg responded that his thoughts on Khamenei were relevant given that he frequently discusses foreign policy, but El-Sayed refused to engage.
Fahlberg later said that El-Sayed seemed to become furious whenever he was asked about the Iranian regime.
A few weeks later, El-Sayed clashed with Fox News “Special Report” anchor Bret Baier, repeatedly interrupting Baier during an exchange about the Muslim Brotherhood.
El-Sayed also spoke about confronting media figures.
“You know how many terrible things Bill Maher said about people like me? Terrible, horrible things,” El-Sayed said during an interview with Chuck Todd in September.
“I would be on this show,” El-Sayed continued. “I want to give people the image of seeing him get yelled at on his own show by a guy who prays like me.”
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN STUDENTS RALLY BEHIND ABDUL EL-SAYED AFTER HIS SENATE VICTORY AGAINST MIKE ROGERS
As for El-Sayed’s last encounter, the viral Election Day moment happened when he approached Matthews and asked, “Are you registered to vote in the state of Michigan?”
“That’s not the case,” replied the U.S.-based British correspondent.
“Why would I want to have a conversation with you?” the Democrat fired back.
After Matthews responded that he was a journalist, El-Sayed scoffed, replying: “In the UK.”
“You know how many votes I want to get in the UK? Zero,” El-Sayed told Mathews, placing both hands on the journalist’s shoulders. “I will never stand for election in the UK”
Matthews stressed that the 2026 U.S. midterm elections “matter to the world” and told El-Sayed he was “applying to be a senator.”
“A senator in where? In which country? Which country?” El-Sayed responded by placing his hands on Matthews’ shoulders again.
“The United States,” Matthews replied.
“Which country are you from?” » asked El-Sayed.
“I’m based in the United States,” Matthews said.
“But where are you reporting? Where are your viewers?” El-Sayed interrupted.
El-Sayed fired Matthews after the journalist explained that Sky News was aimed at an international audience, insisting that “Sky News is not seen in the United States of America”, then sneering that “about five people” watch the channel in the United States.
“I’ve answered all the questions. I’ve answered all the questions from the viewers in the UK. So, I’m going to ask you to stop coming after me. Please,” El-Sayed said before walking away. Matthews denied to El-Sayed that he was “pursuing” him.
“If you continue to embarrass me, I won’t be very happy,” El-Sayed told the reporter.
EL-SAYED MOCKS TRUMP, VANCE AND ROGERS IN GALLANT VICTORY SPEECH SIGNALS COMBATIVE TONE IN SENATE
Abdul El-Sayed, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate from Michigan, answers questions from reporters after a campaign rally October 24, 2026 in Detroit. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News Digital)
Footage of the incident quickly went viral and many observers criticized El-Sayed for physically touching the journalist. Piers Morgan called it “pathetic” and “very condescending”.
Reason’s Reem Ibrahim said El-Sayed “sounds like a complete asshole” and former Israeli spokesperson Eylon Levy called him a “bully.”
Students of Trump founder Ryan Fournier called the behavior “unhinged,” while Spencer Pratt asked, “Why is that angry little Elf Sayed so comfortable putting his hands on another man like that?”
Communications trainer Jocelin Martinez, who provides media training and develops messages for her clients, doesn’t think El-Sayed needs to change his approach after crushing Republican rival Mike Rogers in the crucial Senate race for a seat that Republicans were hoping to flip this election cycle.
“El-Sayed’s communication style got him elected in Michigan because the moment demands leadership with courage,” Martinez told Fox News Digital.
The El-Sayed campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Joseph A. Wulfsohn of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
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