Abdul El-Sayed (D) · Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, Michigan (Nov. 3, 2026 ballot)
Topic: Obama's record
THEN · 2012-11-07
“This leader has perpetuated war, violated our civil liberties, deported more people from our shores than any other president before him, and the list of his failures goes on.”
NOW · 2026-10-11
“I know that President Obama was handed a really difficult set of circumstances, and he did his best.”
Context: In 2012 El-Sayed wrote that he backed Obama's re-election only as the lesser evil. On Meet the Press in October 2026, as Obama prepared to campaign with him in Michigan, he said Obama 'did his best' and attributed the old op-eds to being younger and angry.
