Barack Obama told a crowd in Detroit on Saturday that Abdul El-Sayed was “fighting for change, real change, that will take money out of politics and put money in your pocket,” as he endorsed the Democratic Senate candidate and the rest of the ticket on the first day of early voting in Michigan. Obama told thousands of spectators at Cass Technical High School in Detroit that El-Sayed would “finish the work we started with the Affordable Care Act and ensure quality, affordable health care for all Americans.” The former president led a rally for El-Sayed, the Democratic U.S. Senate candidate, and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, the party’s gubernatorial candidate, at a late-night “get out the vote” event. He accused Donald Trump of “enriching himself and his family” and said the administration had established a “culture… at the top” of accepting favors. “I have never seen a president so determined to sell favors like this,” he said. The rally came on the first day of the early voting period in Michigan, with the general election on Nov. 3. It was also Obama’s first weekend of in-person campaigning during the midterm elections, which began in Cleveland, Ohio, earlier in the day to defend former Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton earlier in the weekend. He issued equally scathing comments directed at the White House and the Republican Party. Abdul El-Sayed speaks to supporters during a campaign rally in Detroit on Saturday. Photograph: Paul Sancya/AP The stop in Detroit is Obama’s first public show of support for El-Sayed, who emerged from a bitter August primary in which the former president stood by. El-Sayed, a physician and former Wayne County health officer, took a swipe at moderate Congresswoman Haley Stevens, who had the backing of the Democratic establishment and pro-Israel organizations. Obama launched an offensive against the administration, mocking Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, accusing him of being “focused” on the “jawline and testosterone levels of our troops,” asking, “How much time do you think this man spends in front of the mirror every day?” Obama said Trump was tougher on “that known evil empire,” referring to Canada, just a few minutes’ drive from Detroit across the bridge. “These are the people who gave us Martin Short and maple syrup,” he said. He even criticized Trump’s attempts to renovate the White House. “It should be on HGTV,” Obama said of the numerous renovations in Washington, including the White House ballroom and the Rose Garden. “He’s made the White House look like Saddam Hussein opened a cheesecake factory.” There were doubts about whether Obama would endorse El-Sayed. El-Sayed, an advocate for Medicare for All, at one point called the Affordable Care Act, Obama’s signature domestic achievement, a piecemeal solution. The two men spoke by phone after the primaries, and El-Sayed has since called Obama a mentor figure. The pro-Abdul El-Sayed rally in Detroit on Saturday. Photograph: Paul Sancya/APEl-Sayed has more ground to make up in Wayne County, where Detroit is the county seat, after Stevens beat him there by about 51% to 45% in the August primary. Obama last campaigned in Detroit (which is more than three-quarters black) in October 2024 for Kamala Harris, and Harris herself appeared with El-Sayed in Detroit last month. Republicans have not held a Michigan Senate seat in 25 years, but the party views the seat as one of its best chances to win nationally. El-Sayed faces Mike Rogers, a former congressman backed by Donald Trump who lost a 2024 Senate matchup against Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin by less than half a percentage point. The Cook Political Report calls this race a toss-up. Slotkin, a featured speaker at the rally, told the crowd that “Michigan believes in electing fighters.” And when it came to any disagreements he might have with El-Sayed, he said, “It’s okay because we agree on a lot more.” “We are putting a check and balance on Donald Trump in the White House,” he said. A Marist poll of likely statewide voters conducted in mid-October put El-Sayed at 50% and Rogers at 48%, within the margin of error. The RealClearPolitics average had El-Sayed ahead by about 2.6 points over a similar time frame. Abdul El-Sayed waves to supporters during his campaign rally in Detroit on Saturday. Photograph: Paul Sancya/APTrump has attacked El-Sayed throughout the campaign, calling him a “jihadist,” pointing to his middle name and claiming he had ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, which El-Sayed strongly denies, creating one of the most viral moments of the year. El-Sayed has also faced a barrage of criticism from the establishment wing of the Democratic Party for his appearances with left-wing streamer Hasan Piker. Trump will arrive in the state on Sunday, when he will hold a rally for Michigan Republicans in Port Huron, on the Canadian border. The city said it will be the first presidential visit to St Clair County. If elected, El-Sayed would be the first Muslim and first Egyptian American in the U.S. Senate. Benson faces Republican Congressman John James; a James victory would make him Michigan’s first black governor. As for disagreements between them, Obama acknowledged that some people had pointed out that El-Sayed “didn’t like some things you did as president.” “We are not going to agree on all the details of each issue,” he said. “You know who else doesn’t agree with everything I do? Michelle Obama.” “We share those values of making sure that everyone has a fair shot in this society,” Obama said, “and that the system is not geared just for those at the top.”
