Leaked audio released today appears to capture Michigan U.S. Senate hopeful Dr. Abdul El‑Sayed telling campaign staff he wanted to stay quiet on the killing of Iran’s supreme leader because there are a lot of people in Dearborn who are sad. The recording, allegedly from a March 1 strategy call, has quickly turned into a political grenade in an already crowded Democratic primary. El‑Sayed’s team says the call was recorded without the campaign’s permission.
What the recording says
According to the Washington Free Beacon, the audio captures El‑Sayed telling aides that there are a lot of people in Dearborn who are sad, as he explains why he wanted to avoid commenting on the killing of Iran’s supreme leader. The outlet also reports that on the same recording, El‑Sayed says he would pivot to attacking President Trump’s alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein if pressed, telling staff, “I’m just gonna go straight to pedophilia, frankly.” The Free Beacon says the call took place one day after an Israeli strike that killed Iran’s top leader.
Campaign pushes back
El‑Sayed’s campaign is pushing back on the political fallout and the way the tape has been framed, pointing to statements he published on his website in early March and a March 13 video that expanded on his message. In a March 1 press release, the campaign criticized the administration’s strikes and called for de‑escalation, and it later posted a longer video reflecting on a West Bloomfield synagogue attack. Campaign lawyers told the Washington Free Beacon the recording was obtained without permission and that they are “considering its legal options,” according to the outlet.
Where it lands in the race
The leak drops into a razor‑thin Democratic primary where positions on Israel and the Iran war have already become a central dividing line. The Washington Post recently described El‑Sayed as the most left‑wing of the major Democrats in the field, and polling suggests a three‑way fight at the top. The RealClearPolitics average currently shows El‑Sayed trailing Mallory McMorrow and Haley Stevens, which means any fresh controversy could matter around the margins.
Dearborn and local voters
Dearborn’s large Arab‑American and broader MENA community gives the city outsized clout in Michigan politics, especially in Democratic primaries. Local coverage in 2023 reported that Dearborn became the country’s first Arab‑majority city, and the Detroit Free Press and others have highlighted how activism and turnout there have helped shape recent races. All of that helps explain why a leaked comment about “a lot of people in Dearborn” landed so fast in statewide campaign coverage.
What’s next
The recording adds a new line of attack for opponents and a legal wrinkle for El‑Sayed, whose team has asked outlets to weigh how the audio was obtained as they cover it and says it may pursue legal remedies. With months to go before Democrats pick their nominee, operatives and voters will be watching to see whether rivals drag the tape into debates, whether it actually moves numbers, and whether any more recordings surface.
