El-Sayed Confirms Calling Trump ‘the Dumbest Fucking Guy’ in NPR Interview
Michigan Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed stood by his earlier insults against President Donald Trump during an NPR interview, arguing that Democrats must abandon political restraint and confront a president he described as a bully and narcissist.
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Michigan Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed has confirmed calling President Donald Trump the “dumbest fucking guy who ever was president,” defending his confrontational approach and urging Democrats to abandon political decorum when dealing with the president.
The 42-year-old Democrat reaffirmed the remarks during an interview with NPR host Leila Fadel on the Newsmakers video podcast released Thursday, November 12. The exchange also aired on Morning Edition that day.
El-Sayed Stands by Earlier Trump Insults
Fadel asked him to confirm two remarks from the previous week: calling Trump “the dumbest fucking guy who ever was president,” and saying Democrats should “drop the decorum” and “treat the president as the unserious fool that he is.”
El-Sayed answered “True” to both.
He then called Trump a bully and a narcissist. “The only way you deal with bullies is to stand up to them,” he said. “The way you take on a bully is to bully back.”
Remarks First Delivered at Washington Event
The insults were first delivered a week earlier, not on NPR.
On November 5, El-Sayed made a surprise appearance at a live Pod Save America recording at Washington’s Warner Theatre, alongside hosts Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Tommy Vietor and Dan Pfeiffer.
The Daily Beast reported the following day that he had used the same insult there, said Democrats had a responsibility to “engage with him as the unserious fool that he is,” and described his planned approach as “crass and obnoxious.”
The NPR exchange was a confirmation of those remarks, not their first public delivery.
Election Victory Follows Bitter Campaign
El-Sayed defeated Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan’s November 3 Senate election, becoming the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate.
A progressive epidemiologist and former Detroit and Wayne County public health official, he takes office in January 2027.
His campaign drew personal attacks from senior Republicans. Trump called him a “jihadist lunatic” who was “on the side of terrorists,” while Vice President JD Vance called him a representative of “terrible evil” and a “little weasel.”
Vance is expected to administer the Senate oath in January. In the same NPR interview, El-Sayed also said he will likely swear that oath on a Quran.
Confrontation Does Not Rule Out Cooperation
Despite the attacks, El-Sayed said he was willing to meet Trump and discuss possible areas of agreement. “Donald, if you’re listening, there’s a lot we could work on. Happy to have a meeting,” he said.
He also said Democrats should end the war in Iran and stop tariffs, while addressing economic affordability.
The remarks underscored his intention to confront Trump personally while leaving open cooperation on specific policies.
Kamer Kurunç
Kamer Kurunç is the Team Leader of Clash Report and has led the outlet for four years. He oversees its breaking world news coverage, from the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine war to defense and global politics. His focus is fast, verified, source-based reporting. Follow him on X at @kamerknc.
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