--- title: "Abdul El-Sayed faces backlash over 2018 remark calling Mackinac Island 'hated'" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/abdul-el-sayed-faces-backlash-over-2018-remark-calling-mackinac-island-hated" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/abdul-el-sayed-faces-backlash-over-2018-remark-calling-mackinac-island-hated" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/abdul-el-sayed-faces-backlash-over-2018-remark-calling-mackinac-island-hated.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/abdul-el-sayed-faces-backlash-over-2018-remark-calling-mackinac-island-hated" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-08T18:25:33.320Z" source_reported: "2026-08-08T16:31:45.679Z" updated: "2026-08-08T18:25:33.320Z" trust_score: 78 critic_score: 95 hype_score: 45 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-08T16:37:56.596Z" --- # Abdul El-Sayed faces backlash over 2018 remark calling Mackinac Island 'hated' *Michigan Democratic Senate nominee’s resurfaced video draws Republican attacks after primary win over Haley Stevens* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 78 of 100, higher is better. Trust 78: multiple named sources, specific figures with origins, and exact time/place corroborated across outlets. - Craft 95 of 100, higher is better. Critic 95: clear attribution, quotes, specific data, and explanation of why the story matters. - Hype 45 of 100, lower is better. Hype 45: loaded adjectives used but coverage stays proportionate to the facts. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary on 6 August 2026, defeating Haley Stevens by 1.5 percentage points. - A 2018 video resurfaced in which El-Sayed said he "hated" Mackinac Island, a popular Michigan tourist destination with a summer governor’s residence. - Republican opponent Mike Rogers posted photos of himself on Mackinac Island after the clip circulated, calling it "no place like Mackinac". - El-Sayed raised over $2.3 million in the two days following his primary victory, as reported by Internewscast. Abdul El-Sayed became the Democratic nominee for Michigan’s open Senate seat after defeating Haley Stevens in the party’s primary on 6 August 2026. The margin was 1.5 percentage points, narrower than polling had predicted. El-Sayed, a progressive backed by Bernie Sanders, raised more than $2.3 million in donations within two days of his victory, as reported by Internewscast. A 2018 video resurfaced in which El-Sayed, then a gubernatorial candidate, said he "hated" Mackinac Island. The island, located near Michigan’s border with Canada, is a popular tourist destination and hosts a summer residence for the state’s governor. Cars have been banned there since the 1890s. In the video, El-Sayed questioned why he would have to live there part-time if elected, calling it a place he "hated". El-Sayed’s Republican opponent, Mike Rogers, shared photos of himself and his wife on Mackinac Island after the clip circulated. One post included the caption "There’s no place like Mackinac". Rogers, who ran unopposed in the Republican primary after an early endorsement from Donald Trump, has framed the race as a choice between "socialism and solutions". Conservative groups have committed $15 million to support his campaign, as reported by Internewscast. ## What the reports agree on All 11 reports confirm that a 2018 video of El-Sayed calling Mackinac Island "hated" resurfaced after his primary win. They also agree that Rogers responded by posting photos of himself on the island. The digests from the Washington Times, Fox News, Bizpac Review, ussanews.com, Twitchy, Conservative News Daily, and the Sunday Guardian Live all note that the clip sparked backlash. The Hindustan Times and Internewscast specify that the video was from a 2020 documentary titled *How to Fix a Primary*. ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated digests mentioned that El-Sayed raised over $2.3 million in the two days following his primary win. The left-rated digest from Raw Story did not report Rogers’ photos of Mackinac Island or the $15 million in conservative campaign funding. The unrated digests from the Sunday Guardian Live, Conservative News Daily, and the Senate Leadership Fund omitted El-Sayed’s social media response to the backlash. ## Who covered it Shares of the 8 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 13% (1) - Centre: 24% (2) - Right: 63% (5) 3 of 11 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-08T16:37:56.596Z. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 9 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-08T20:30:23.967Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The only left-rated report, from Raw Story, led on El-Sayed’s response to the backlash rather than the video itself. The digest describes his remark as a "supposed 'hot mic' moment" and notes that he "hit back" over it. The framing contrasts with the right-rated digests, which presented the video as a damaging revelation. Raw Story’s digest does not mention Rogers’ photos of Mackinac Island or the $15 million in conservative campaign funding. ### Centre - The two centre-rated digests, from Internewscast and the Hindustan Times, both led on the resurfaced video and the backlash it generated. Internewscast’s full report provided the most detail, including El-Sayed’s social media response, in which he referenced Mackinac Island’s car ban. The Hindustan Times’ digest described the clip as sparking "outrage" and quoted El-Sayed’s remark as "so unappreciative". Neither digest omitted the $2.3 million fundraising figure or Rogers’ photos. ### Right - All five right-rated digests led on the resurfaced video, framing it as a damaging gaffe. The Washington Times, Fox News, and ussanews.com described the clip as showing El-Sayed "trashing" or "hating" Mackinac Island. Twitchy’s headline claimed El-Sayed "prefers Dubai over America’s crown jewel", though the digest did not provide evidence for this. Bizpac Review’s digest noted that El-Sayed "chose to double down" on his remark, but did not specify how. None of the right-rated digests mentioned El-Sayed’s $2.3 million fundraising haul or his debate challenge to Rogers. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. 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. - low: 2 - mixed: 5 - high: 1 - unknown: 3 ## 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 - [Bizpac Review](https://bizpacreview.com/2026/08/08/mike-rogers-has-perfect-response-to-abdul-el-sayed-hates-mackinac-hot-mic-debacle-1653980) — Mike Rogers has perfect response to Abdul El-Sayed ‘hates Mackinac’ hot mic debacle - [ussanews.com](https://ussanews.com/2026/08/08/el-sayed-faces-backlash-over-sketchy-resurfaced-video) — El-Sayed Faces Backlash Over Sketchy Resurfaced Video - [Internewscast](https://internewscast.com/news/abdul-el-sayed-faces-backlash-over-comment-about-loathing-popular-midwest-island) — Abdul El-Sayed Faces Backlash Over Comment About Loathing Popular Midwest Island - [The Sunday Guardian Live](https://sundayguardianlive.com/world/abdul-el-sayed-michigan-senate-nominee-faces-backlash-over-resurfaced-clip-hating-mackinac-island-256134) — Abdul El-Sayed: Michigan Senate Nominee Faces Backlash Over Resurfaced Clip ‘Hating’ Mackinac Island - [Conservative News Daily](https://conservativenewsdaily.net/breaking-news/no-place-like-mackinac-mike-rogers-trolls-abdul-el-sayed) — ‘No place like Mackinac’: Mike Rogers trolls Abdul el Sayed - [Washington Times](https://washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/7/el-sayed-fire-resurfaced-clip-trashing-michigans-mackinac-island) — El-Sayed under fire for resurfaced clip trashing Michigan’s Mackinac Island - [Raw Story](https://rawstory.com/abdul-el-sayed-2677673633) — MAGA battered by epic clapback over surging Dem's supposed 'hot mic' moment - [Fox News](https://foxnews.com/politics/unearthed-clip-el-sayed-revealing-hate-iconic-michigan-town-sparks-online-firestorm-dark-heart) — Unearthed clip of El-Sayed revealing his 'hate' for iconic Michigan town sparks online firestorm: 'Dark heart' - [Hindustan Times](https://hindustantimes.com/trending/us/what-did-abdul-el-sayed-say-about-mackinac-island-resurfaced-clip-sparks-outrage-so-unappreciative-101786120569147.html) — What did Abdul El-Sayed say about Mackinac Island? Resurfaced clip sparks outrage: 'So unappreciative' - [Senate Leadership Fund](https://senateleadershipfund.org/press-releases/watch-abdul-el-sayed-trashes-mackinac-island) — Abdul El-Sayed Trashes Mackinac Island - [Twitchy](https://twitchy.com/justmindy/2026/08/07/el-sayed-hates-mackinac-n2431054) — 'I Hate Mackinac': Michigan Senate Hopeful Abdul El-Sayed Prefers Dubai Over America’s Crown Jewel ## Questions **What did Abdul El-Sayed say about Mackinac Island?** In a 2018 video, Abdul El-Sayed said he "hated" Mackinac Island, a popular Michigan tourist destination. The clip resurfaced after he won the Democratic Senate primary in August 2026, drawing criticism from Republicans, including his opponent Mike Rogers. **How much money did Abdul El-Sayed raise after winning the primary?** Abdul El-Sayed raised more than $2.3 million in donations in the two days following his primary victory, as reported by Internewscast. This figure was not mentioned in any of the right-rated digests. **What was Mike Rogers’ response to the resurfaced video?** Mike Rogers posted photos of himself and his wife on Mackinac Island with the caption "There’s no place like Mackinac". The photos were shared after the 2018 video of El-Sayed calling the island "hated" resurfaced. **Which outlets reported on El-Sayed’s fundraising but not Rogers’ photos?** The left-rated digest from Raw Story reported El-Sayed’s $2.3 million fundraising haul but did not mention Rogers’ photos of Mackinac Island. The right-rated digests omitted the fundraising figure entirely. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/abdul-el-sayed-faces-backlash-over-2018-remark-calling-mackinac-island-hated. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Abdul El-Sayed faces backlash over 2018 remark calling Mackinac Island 'hated'", https://mediabias.news/politics/abdul-el-sayed-faces-backlash-over-2018-remark-calling-mackinac-island-hated