Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El Sayed is taking heavy fire after an old video surfaced [1] showing him declaring his hatred for Mackinac Island, one of the most cherished destinations in the state he now wants to represent in Washington.
The footage came from a 2020 documentary examining El Sayed’s unsuccessful 2018 campaign for governor.
While walking through the celebrated island community, the Democrat offered a blunt assessment that quickly became political ammunition.
“I hate Mackinac so much,” El Sayed said in the clip.
That is quite a message from a politician seeking support from Michigan voters who consider the island a treasured piece of their history and culture.
El Sayed then appeared to joke about gaining access to the governor’s summer residence there.
“It’s funny cause, like, if we win, this is gonna be, like, the summer home,” he said.
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The clip resurfaced Friday through reporting by The Midwesterner and quickly spread across social media.
Conservatives pounced on the remarks as another example of a rising Democrat appearing openly contemptuous toward the traditions and places ordinary Americans love.
Mackinac Island sits in Lake Huron between Michigan’s Upper and Lower peninsulas.
Its Victorian architecture, waterfront views, historic hotels, natural beauty, fudge shops and famous carriage traffic attract more than a million visitors during the summer season.
Federalist editor in chief Mollie Hemingway connected the controversy to a broader problem inside the modern Democratic Party.
“The rising stars of the Democrat Party loathe America and seek to destroy it,” Hemingway wrote on X.
Outkick founder Clay Travis noted his personal connection to the island, writing, “I got engaged on this island.”
He also praised northern Michigan as one of the nation’s most beautiful and underrated summer destinations.
Former Trump adviser Steve Cortes was even more direct about the Senate nominee’s apparent disdain for such an iconic location.
“Wow hating Mackinac!” Cortes wrote before adding, “Abdul has a dark heart.”
National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesperson Sarah Gallagher also joined the pile on.
“He would rather summer at his property in Dubai,” Gallagher wrote, drawing a sharp contrast between El Sayed’s international lifestyle and the Michigan landmark he disparaged.
Carly Moran of On Brand Strategies delivered perhaps the simplest verdict on the viral footage.
“Bro has no soul,” Moran wrote, later describing Mackinac Island as “literally Heaven on Earth.”
Former Michigan Republican gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon said El Sayed speaks warmly about summers in Egypt while showing contempt for a destination tied to generations of Michigan family memories.
“He doesn’t respect us, and, therefore, he cannot represent us,” Dixon told Fox News Digital.
Some defenders argued the clip lacked important context and claimed El Sayed was really criticizing the Mackinac Policy Conference.
That annual gathering draws political leaders, business figures, lobbyists and other influential insiders to the island.
Journalist Brad LaPlante said El Sayed’s frustration concerned an event that he believes excludes ordinary voters from political decision making.
Michigan Young Republicans board member James Asher was not persuaded, responding, “Brad, are you dizzy from the way you’re spinning this?”
Whatever explanation Democrats prefer, El Sayed’s own words were broad enough to fuel the uproar.
He did not merely criticize a conference panel, a political donor or a particular policy discussion in the footage that circulated.
Mackinac Island has preserved a character rarely found in modern tourist communities.
Cars have largely been prohibited since the 1890s, leaving residents and visitors to move around by bicycle, on foot or in the island’s familiar horse carriages.
That car prohibition became part of El Sayed’s response after the controversy erupted.
“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 Friday afternoon.
Not sure about “End Wokeness,” but I don’t think the most “American place in MI” can be a place that…bans cars. https://t.co/PGPQklztVO [2]
— Dr. Abdul El-Sayed (@AbdulElSayed) August 7, 2026 [3]
The attempted comeback did little to calm critics who saw the original comment as revealing.
For a Senate nominee, sneering at one of Michigan’s proudest cultural landmarks is a peculiar strategy, especially when voters are already wondering whether the Democratic Party respects their communities.
The island remains home to the Grand Hotel, Fort Mackinac, historic streets and generations of family traditions.