Vance says El-Sayed has no 'constituency among the working class'
The Hill · C · trust 55/100
Comments: by Finya Swai - 08/05/26 9:42 PM ET Comments: Link copied by Finya Swai - 08/05/26 9:42 PM ET Comments: Link copied NOW PLAYING Vice President Vance on Wednesday said progressive Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed’s Democratic primary victory in Michigan was driven by affluent liberals rather than by working class voters.
In an interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham a day after El-Sayed defeated Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) in the primary, Vance said the increasingly growing progressive wing of the Democratic Party simply wants to elect “radicals” who “hate even the idea of private property ownership.”
“El-Sayed, he’s this guy who holds himself out as a working-class hero, is a guy who’s gonna fight for the working class,” he said on “The Ingraham Angle,” adding that his policies would hurt the state’s auto industry. “He doesn’t have a constituency among the working class.”
Vance said El-Sayed, who was endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and other top progressive leaders, appeals to “wealthy white liberals” rather than working class voters.
Vance also took aim at El-Sayed’s positions on immigration and trade, arguing they were at odds with the interests of Michigan workers.
El-Sayed, the son of Egyptian immigrants, has previously called to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and did not support overly broad tariffs that could place the financial burden on consumers.
Vance argued El-Sayed’s victory showed a shift within the Democratic Party for the progressive coalition, contending the progressive performed best in wealthier and more educated parts of the state.
The vice president linked the trend to frustration felt by younger college graduates now saddled with debt after being “sold a bill of goods” by universities that failed to deliver on the economic opportunities they were promised.
“I think what it tells us is that a lot of the young Americans were sold a whole promise at the elite universities in our country, and that promise is that they were going to be able to go to college, get a degree, and everything was gonna work out fine for them,” Vance said.
“I think in reality, actually, a lot of universities sold these kids a bill of goods. They gave them a lot of debt. They did not give them useful skills or a useful credential. And a lot of these kids are very angry.”
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