“Ideally you put one ogre on a pike, and then everyone else gets the message, and all of a sudden starts to sound a lot different.”
Abdul El-Sayed
Politician
Original on YouTube ↗ (opens in a new tab)Archive copy ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- Date
- Platform
- Zoom call with donors (leaked audio published by Politico)
- Category
- Incitement
- Status
- Live, no apology on record
Context
Said to donors while running in Michigan's 2026 Democratic Senate primary; quoted identically by Politico and the New York Post. El-Sayed said the "ogre" was Sen. John Fetterman and that he meant a 2028 primary challenge against him, not violence. He did not retract it. Rep. Hillary Scholten called it a "violent, vulgar" threat.
Apology
None found. Last checked Nov 10, 2026.
Sources
Report quoting it ↗ (opens in a new tab) Archive of the report ↗ (opens in a new tab) Original ↗ (opens in a new tab) Archive of the original ↗ (opens in a new tab)
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