Nancy Pelosi turns on Abdul El-Sayed, says his criticism of Israel is ‘wrong’, not ‘a reflection of the Democrats in the Congress of the United States’

Michigan Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed is one of the central Democratic Party figures in the November midterms. If he can defeat Republican candidate Mike Rogers, the Democrats will be one crucial step closer to a Senate majority.

Right now it’s looking good for El-Sayed. A CNN poll yesterday showed his lead increasing over Rogers, with El-Sayed commanding a 49% lead over Mike Rogers’ 42% among likely voters. An El-Sayed victory would be something of a bellwether for American politics, as he’s been subjected to an endless parade of insinuations about his religion, race, and loyalty to the United States.

The GOP’s knives are well and truly out for him, but it seems El-Sayed is also picking up some friendly fire from Democrats too. Nancy Pelosi, former House Speaker and Democratic Party titan, appeared on the On Brand podcast (per Newsweek) and was asked about El-Sayed. She doesn’t appear to be a fan.

Is Pelosi out of step with regular Democrats?

Her main problem appears to be El-Sayed’s public opposition to Israel, with the podcast host saying that El-Sayed “doesn’t believe they should be a Jewish state.” This appears to be a reference to his remarks in April 2026 at a “Jews for Abdul” event, in which he said:

“I often struggle with the question that people ask in this particular scenario, because what they now ask is, ‘Do you believe in the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish state,’ which, to me, forces the question of a definition of what a Jewish state means. I need folks who want to ask me that question [to explain] what it is that they mean by that, and how that is consistent with any form of liberal values that we say we believe in here in the United States.”

Regardless of what El-Sayed actually said, Pelosi was adamant that he’s wrong about this: “It’s more than concerning. It’s wrong. It’s wrong, and it isn’t a reflection of the Democrats in the Congress of the United States. This new person in Michigan, we’ll see if he gets elected to the Congress.”

El-Sayed’s views may not reflect Democrats in Congress, but they are broadly in line with the party membership. A Pew Research poll in spring 2026 found that about 80% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents hold an unfavorable view of Israel. Gallup polling also indicates that roughly 65% of Democrats sympathize more with Palestinians, with just 17% sympathizing with Israelis.

Even among Americans overall, 60% have a “very or somewhat unfavorable view of Israel.” So, while Pelosi might not be particularly happy about El-Sayed’s position on Israel, it may well prove to be a crucial boost come voting day.