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Abdul El-Sayed: “Donald Trump is not himself the disease. He's just the worst…”

Featuring: Abdul El-Sayed, Podcast Host, America Dissected | National

Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens

Published August 4, 2026 | Video Starts at 00:59

But more than that, I ran for governor back in 2018, and I said something in that race I think folks weren't quite ready to hear, which is that Donald Trump is not himself the disease. He's just the worst symptom of the disease of our politics. The real disease is the system that allows big corporations, billionaires, special interest, to buy and sell politicians in ways that leave them rigging the system against us. (00:59–01:03)

CLAIM

Asserts that Donald Trump is a symptom, not the cause, of political issues.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

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Abdul El-Sayed

“I'd be the first Democratic doctor elected to the U.S. Senate since 1969.”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 00:39-00:43
“First ever public health official elected to the U.S. Senate.”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 00:42-00:42
“Mike Rogers...was the chief architect of the legislation that kicked off the opioid epidemic.”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 03:39-04:03
“600,000 lives later, he's got nothing to say about it.”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 04:02-04:05
“This administration froze federal funds.”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 00:13-00:16
“The real disease is the system that allows big corporations, billionaires, special interest, to buy and sell politicians.”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 01:02-01:08
“We're running a campaign to get money out of politics, put money in your pocket, pass Medicare for all.”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 01:13-01:18
“There is no candidate who's come through a primary with more spent against them than I will have.”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 03:25-03:32
“I don't take corporate money. I never have and I never will.”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 04:41-04:44
“We're trying to define a viewpoint that's built on money out of politics, money in your pocket, Medicare for all.”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 05:52-05:58
“The biggest risk to capitalism was always going to be corporate consolidation and monopoly rather than government regulation.”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 07:20-07:27
“You need some government regulation to make sure that capitalism runs well.”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 07:27-07:32
“I want to make sure that our capitalism is functional rather than allowing big corporations to buy politicians to rig the system against us.”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 07:31-07:38
“He has a 3 million person platform.”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 08:29-08:34
“On the question of whether or not we should be guaranteeing people health care or sending our money abroad to drop bombs on other people, we…”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 08:40-08:48
“On the question of taking on the fascism of the Trump administration, we agree we should probably take that on.”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 08:47-08:55
“On the question of building competent, functional infrastructure in America, we agree.”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 08:54-08:59
“The same day that I campaigned with him, I also went on Fox and Friends.”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 09:34-09:38
“There's a lot more I disagree with with the host of Fox and Friends and nobody seemed to be all that upset about that.”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 09:38-09:44
“People seem inordinately concerned about the few things he said and less concerned about the fact that our government is in a maybe, maybe…”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 12:08-12:20
“When the President of the United States says crazy bad stuff every day and then everybody wants to be like, well, he said this one thing, do…”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 12:41-12:51
“Enforce our anti-monopoly laws, build out the Federal Trade Commission, make sure that it's enforcing our monopolies and oligopolies.”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 14:25-14:38
“Passing the PRO Act.”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 14:42-14:44
“Investing in public services, in the ways that buy you out of having to spend, spend even more on the things that you shouldn't have to…”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 14:46-14:54
“Taxed billionaires their wealth so that we could invest in our infrastructure.”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 15:00-15:04
“We need to be the world's leader in making both internal combustion engines and building EVs.”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 15:32-15:39
“You tariff on automobiles and you invest in the big three being able to make a 300 mile range EV for $25,000.”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 15:40-15:49
“We had $7,500 tax credits for cars that only rich people could buy.”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 16:01-16:06
“I actually don't think [withdrawing military aid] would [result in more chaos in the Middle East].”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 18:12-18:14
“I believe in international law. I believe in upholding international law.”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 18:26-18:30
“Ukraine is not unconditional Military aid, it's conditional military aid on the attempt of Putin to violate Ukrainian territorial…”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 18:59-19:08
“Unconditional occupation, not violation of international law, which is what's been sustained in the west bank and Gaza.”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 19:36-19:44
“I believe in equal rights to peace, dignity and self determination for the Palestinian people and Jewish Israeli people alike.”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 20:00-20:06
“I believe that as a senator from Michigan, I think my tax dollars ought to be spent here in Michigan for kids who go to schools that look…”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 21:02-21:09
“We need to deny any and all funding to an illegal war. This war was unjustifiable. It is wrong. And obviously it's not authorized.”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 21:19-21:27
“I think we need a war powers resolution. I think we need it immediately.”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 21:26-21:30
“We cannot continue to allow this administration to wage wars.”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 21:32-21:36
“I think we've got to do everything we can to beat Donald Trump and beat Mike Rogers.”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 21:51-21:56
“I've voiced an opinion that I think Senator Chris Van Hollen would be an amazing Senate Majority Leader when we take the majority.”
Abdul El-Sayed on campaign funding, socialists campaigning for him in race against Haley Stevens | Uploaded August 4, 2026 | 22:07-22:13