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Abdul El-Sayed says Trump's jabs at his name are secretly a compliment
The Michigan Senate hopeful shared fiery popcorn at a Detroit gas station before talking faith, Trump's name-calling plus Katie Zacharia's radical label.
Abdul El-Sayed thinks Donald Trump pays him a compliment every time the president pokes fun at his name. Trump just doesn't realize it.
Spicy snacks first
The Michigan Senate candidate ran into a pair of reporters at a Detroit gas station on Tuesday night. Before any politics came up he tore open a bag of Red Hot Cheese popcorn.
The heat proved too much for one of the reporters. The three of them wound up passing around a bottle of Gatorade to cool their mouths.
Faith and politics
The talk turned serious after that. One reporter brought up a man in Kalamazoo who doubted El-Sayed would stay as progressive as he sounds once in office because of his religion.
El-Sayed pushed back on that idea. He said his faith is the very reason he holds progressive views.
Trump and the name game
Asked whether it hurts when Trump mocks his name, El-Sayed walked through why he sees the insults as praise the president never meant to give.
He saved some words for Katie Zacharia too. The newly named press secretary at the White House has branded him a radical. El-Sayed called her last name ironic in light of that label and said her remarks were rich.
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