--- title: "Abdul El-Sayed calls Trump an 'idiot' on podcast" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/abdul-el-sayed-calls-trump-an-idiot-on-podcast" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/abdul-el-sayed-calls-trump-an-idiot-on-podcast" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/abdul-el-sayed-calls-trump-an-idiot-on-podcast.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/abdul-el-sayed-calls-trump-an-idiot-on-podcast" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-10-29T10:25:30.293Z" source_reported: "2026-10-29T09:08:40.000Z" updated: "2026-10-29T10:25:30.293Z" trust_score: 62 critic_score: 77 hype_score: 30 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-10-29T10:15:16.409827+00:00" --- # Abdul El-Sayed calls Trump an 'idiot' on podcast *Michigan Senate candidate also discussed healthcare costs and political consequences on Hasan Minhaj's show.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 62 of 100, higher is better. Trust 62 – multiple digests and a full report name El‑Sayed, but no source cited for the $4,500 deductible figure. - Craft 77 of 100, higher is better. Critic 77 – explains relevance, provides specific names and figures, keeps facts separate, and is clearly written. - Hype 30 of 100, lower is better. Hype 30 – headline is vivid but matches article content without excessive exaggeration. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed called Donald Trump an 'idiot' on Hasan Minhaj's podcast. - El-Sayed stated that Trump's only genius is in attracting attention, a skill he attributed to his father's lack of attention. - The candidate also discussed healthcare, stating the median deductible for a family of four is about $4,500, making them functionally uninsured. - El-Sayed argued that political outcomes have life-or-death consequences, unlike sports results. Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed appeared on Hasan Minhaj's podcast and described Donald Trump as an 'idiot'. El-Sayed said Trump's sole talent was his ability to gain attention, suggesting this stemmed from insufficient attention from his father. El-Sayed also criticised other political figures, including JD Vance, whom he described as lacking soul and charisma but being adept at serving powerful individuals. During the podcast, El-Sayed addressed the consequences of political decisions, contrasting them with the outcomes of sporting events. He argued that while a sports team's victory does not result in death, political wins or losses can lead to wars, affect healthcare access, and influence food affordability. El-Sayed also highlighted the issue of healthcare costs, stating that the median deductible for a family of four to access insurance is approximately $4,500. He questioned whether this constituted true insurance, noting that individuals without this amount are effectively uninsured. ## Disagreement on El-Sayed's specific phrasing Daily Kos reported El-Sayed stating, 'Donald Trump is an idiot.' The same report quotes him saying, 'Fucking idiot.' La Dépêche du Midi reported El-Sayed saying, 'Donald Trump Is an Idiot Whose only Genius Is to Attract Attention because His Father Never Gave Him Any.' IndexHR reported El-Sayed called Trump an idiot and advocated for resistance against 'political thugs'. ## What the coverage left out None of the reports printed below mention El-Sayed's comparison of political consequences to sports outcomes. The specific figure of $4,500 for the median family deductible was only mentioned in the Daily Kos full report. No right-rated outlet ran this story. ## Who covered it Shares of the 6 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 67% (4) - Centre: 33% (2) - Right: 0% (0) 1 of 7 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-10-29T10:15:16.409827+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 1 time; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-10-29T10:30:31.385Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Left-rated reports led with El-Sayed's strong criticism of Donald Trump. Daily Kos featured the headline ‘Trump is an idiot’: El-Sayed cuts to the chase and quoted El-Sayed calling Trump an 'idiot' and a 'fucking idiot'. La Dépêche du Midi's headline stated, "Donald Trump Is an Idiot Whose only Genius Is to Attract Attention because His Father Never Gave Him Any," Abdul El-Sayed, the New Black Beast of the Republicans, Strangles the American President. IndexHR's headline read, Democrat Insults Trump and Administration: America Is Run by the Stupidest People. These reports also mentioned El-Sayed's comments on healthcare deductibles. ### Centre - Centre-rated reports focused on El-Sayed's description of Trump as an 'idiot' while also noting his perceived 'one genius' quality. Alabama Live and Cleveland both used the headline Trump savaged as ‘idiot’ by Democrat who concedes president has this ‘one genius’. These reports highlighted El-Sayed's statement that Trump is an 'idiot' with 'one genius' quality. ### Right No separate framing summary. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 1 - high: 3 - unknown: 1 - veryHigh: 2 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [thepoke.com](https://thepoke.com/2026/10/29/you-wont-see-a-more-blistering-and-utterly-on-point-takedown-of-donald-trump-than-this-minute-and-a-bit-by-abdul-el-sayed) — You won't see a more blistering and utterly on-point takedown of Donald Trump than this minute and a bit by Abdul El-Sayed - [La Dépêche du Midi](https://ladepeche.fr/2026/10/29/donald-trump-est-un-idiot-dont-le-seul-genie-est-dattirer-lattention-car-son-pere-ne-lui-en-a-jamais-donne-abdul-el-sayed-nouvelle-bete-noire-des-13625909.php) — "Donald Trump Is an Idiot Whose only Genius Is to Attract Attention because His Father Never Gave Him Any," Abdul El-Sayed, the New Black Beast of the Republicans, Strangles the American President - [Alabama Live](https://al.com/politics/2026/10/trump-savaged-by-democrat-who-concedes-president-has-this-one-genius-quality.html) — Trump savaged as ‘idiot’ by Democrat who concedes president has this ‘one genius’ - [Cleveland](https://cleveland.com/politics/2026/10/trump-savaged-by-democrat-who-concedes-president-has-this-one-genius-quality.html) — Trump savaged as ‘idiot’ by Democrat who concedes president has this ‘one genius’ - [lehighvalleylive](https://lehighvalleylive.com/nation-world/2026/10/trump-savaged-by-democrat-who-concedes-president-has-this-one-genius-quality.html) — Trump savaged as ‘idiot’ by Democrat who concedes president has this ‘one genius’ - [IndexHR](https://index.hr/vijesti/clanak/demokratski-kandidat-za-senat-trump-je-idiot/2850980.aspx) — Democrat Insults Trump and Administration: America Is Run by the Stupidest People - [Daily Kos](https://dailykos.com/stories/2026/10/28/800119006/videos/trump-is-an-idiot-el-sayed-cuts-to-the-chase) — ‘Trump is an idiot’: El-Sayed cuts to the chase ## Questions **What did Abdul El-Sayed say about Donald Trump?** Abdul El-Sayed called Donald Trump an 'idiot' during an appearance on Hasan Minhaj's podcast. He also stated that Trump's only genius was in attracting attention, which he attributed to a lack of attention from his father. **What did El-Sayed say about healthcare costs?** El-Sayed stated that the median deductible for a family of four to access health insurance is around $4,500. He argued that without this amount readily available, individuals are effectively uninsured, questioning the purpose of current insurance plans. **Which political figures did El-Sayed criticise?** Besides Donald Trump, El-Sayed also mentioned JD Vance, describing him as intelligent but lacking soul and charisma, and suggesting Vance's actions are driven by a desire to serve the strongest person in the room. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/abdul-el-sayed-calls-trump-an-idiot-on-podcast. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Abdul El-Sayed calls Trump an 'idiot' on podcast", https://mediabias.news/politics/abdul-el-sayed-calls-trump-an-idiot-on-podcast