Republican attack ads take El-Sayed's 'dangerous' comments out of context

The first ad, from the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), brands El-Sayed as "the most radical Senate candidate in America" before running through attacks against the left-wing candidate (archived here and here).

At one point, the screen cuts to El-Sayed shouting: "I'm pretty damn dangerous."

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Screenshot from YouTube taken August 14, 2026

A second spot released by the Senate Leadership Fund similarly labels El-Sayed "dangerously radical" while promising to show him "in his own words" (archived here and here).

In between years-old clips of El-Sayed discussing policing and immigration, it shows him saying: "They've taken to calling me dangerous"; "I'm dangerous"; "I sure am dangerous"; "I for sure am dangerous"; and "I'm pretty damn dangerous."

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Screenshots from YouTube taken August 14, 2026

The pair of ads dropped August 5, 2026 after El-Sayed secured the Democratic nomination for Michigan's US Senate seat, pitting him against Republican former congressman Mike Rogers in what figures to be one of the most crucial contests of November's US midterms.

But the ads are misleading in their portrayal of El-Sayed's comments.

In both cases, El-Sayed was responding to attacks calling him "dangerous" by saying he would be a "best friend" for struggling Americans who want government to work for them, and "dangerous" for certain politicians and corporate or special interest groups, such as the pharmaceutical industry. He sarcastically dismissed the attacks as a trope based on his Arab background.

The former local government health official is Muslim, born in Detroit to an Egyptian father and American mother. 

He has delivered the same refrain in several speeches, according to AFP's review of his remarks (archived here and here).

AFP reached out to both Republican groups for comment, but no responses were forthcoming.

NRSC ad

The NRSC ad -- which shows El-Sayed declaring: "I'm pretty damn dangerous" -- pulls from a July 25 campaign event with several Democratic lawmakers in Ferndale, Michigan (archived here).

Here is what he said in full, with the part lifted by the NRSC ad highlighted in bold text:

"They always use this word around me: 'Dangerous.' I always wonder, like, why would you call someone like me dangerous? It's not like people who look like me have ever been called dangerous. It's not like you're falling into a well-worn groove that's been around for 25 years, calling people who look like me, with names like mine, dangerous. I know that's not what you're doing, right?

"I'll just say this: Go ask a child who needed a pair of glasses in Detroit if I'm dangerous. Go ask the folks who could not breathe because of smokestacks spewing out sulfur dioxide if I'm dangerous. Go ask the parents of kids who are going to schools that were leaded if I'm dangerous. Go ask the people flooded in medical debt if I'm dangerous. I think what they'll tell you is: 'He's the best friend you might have if you want government to work for you.'

"I'll tell you what, if you're AIPAC, I'm pretty damn dangerous. If you're Big Pharma, I'm dangerous. If you're Big Tech and want to put a data center in your backyard, I'm dangerous. If you're a big bank that wants to collude against us, I am dangerous. If you're a monopolist who wants to raise our prices, I'm dangerous. If you're Chuck Schumer, I'm pretty damn dangerous. And I think it's about damn time we had Democrats who are willing to be dangerous for all the people rigging our policies against us."

Senate Leadership Fund ad

The Senate Leadership Fund ad plucked out several quotes from a June 27 event with other lawmakers in Detroit (archived here).

Here is what he said in full, with the portions in question again bolded:

"It's funny. They've taken to calling me dangerous. Now, I wonder why you would call somebody from my background, with my faith, dangerous. You heard that before? And it's interesting. You ask the folks living in these communities, the grandma whose grandchild finally got a pair of glasses, if I'm dangerous. Ask the folks living in Southwest who finally saw somebody stand up to the polluters in their neighborhood if I'm dangerous. Ask the parents whose kids were in Detroit public schools when we made sure that there wasn't lead in those schools if I'm dangerous. Ask the folks who got Narcan that saved their lives whether or not I'm dangerous. Ask the folks who got a medical debt relief check if I'm dangerous.

"I'm not dangerous if you need government to work for you. But I'll tell you what: I sure am dangerous if you're one of those folks who's a corporation or a special interest or a politician who does their bidding, who's stopping government from working for you. So yeah, if you're Chuck Schumer, I'm dangerous. If you're AIPAC, I'm dangerous. If you're a corporate PAC, I'm dangerous. If you're Blue Cross Blue Shield's CEO, I'm pretty damn dangerous. If you're an ETE, I for sure am dangerous. But if you're somebody who needs government to work for you, I aim to be the best friend you ever had."

AFP has debunked other misinformation about the Michigan Senate race here.