Abdul El-Sayed, the progressive candidate who has since been elected Senator in Michigan, confronted a British journalist in a heated exchange outside a Detroit polling centre, telling him: “I do not care what you think.”
The 42-year-old, who has since won a key Senate seat in the battleground state, accused Sky News correspondent James Matthews of “chasing” him, hours before the results were announced. Dr El-Sayed also said he would not answer his questions because he wanted “zero votes” in the UK.
Exchange outside polling centre
When Mr Matthews attempted to ask him questions, Dr El-Sayed walked over to the reporter and asked: “Are you registered to vote in the state of Michigan?” To which Matthews said no.
“So why would I care to have a conversation with you?... I don’t care what you think or the questions you ask.” During the exchange, he put his hands on Mr Matthews’ shoulders and said: “You know how many votes I want to get in the UK? Zero. I am never running for office in the UK.”
Clash over relevance
Mr Matthews explained that he is a journalist and that the result of the Michigan Senate race “matters to the world.” Dr El-Sayed then mocked Mr Matthews over Sky News’ US viewership, claiming the British news channel, which broadcasts internationally, is watched by just “five people” in the United States.
“Sky News is not viewed in the United States of America, it’s only viewed in the UK, like five people watch it here,” Dr El-Sayed said. Mr Matthews then asked, “Abdul, is your election not relevant? Is it not relevant to the UK? Is your election not relevant to the rest of the world?” The politician replied, “I'm gonna ask you to stop chasing me around, please. Thank you.”
Election result
Dr El-Sayed, a doctor and progressive politician, bested Republican Mike Rogers in the midterms overnight, earning 52.5% of the votes.
