WASHINGTON — Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed faced pointed questions Wednesday from progressive commentator Mehdi Hasan over his use of the term “physician,” despite not currently holding a medical license.
El-Sayed’s LinkedIn profile identifies him as a physician, and during an April debate he referred to himself as “a physician and epidemiologist.”
Hasan, the founder of Zeteo, pressed El-Sayed on the issue, noting that rivals had criticized him for calling himself a physician rather than simply a doctor, since he does not have an active state medical license in either New York or Michigan — a requirement Hasan said is apparently needed legally to use the title. He asked whether El-Sayed should have used different wording to avoid the controversy.
“At the end of the day, it’s not about whether or not I’m a physician or a doctor,” El-Sayed responded. “It’s not about my education. It’s about whether or not your kid gets a good education.”
Hasan pushed back on the answer, suggesting El-Sayed was sidestepping the question and warning that voters may see the dispute as a matter of whether he is being truthful.
El-Sayed then shifted to his record in public health, pointing to his past roles, including serving as director of the Department of Health, Human, and Veterans Services in Wayne County, Michigan.
“Well, I would say that I was the health director for the city of Detroit, and I’ve done more to provide more people healthcare or eliminate their medical debt than most doctors have done in their practice career,” he said. “So, I’m proud of the work that I did.”
The Democratic front-runner also noted that he graduated from Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York.
El-Sayed is the former host of a healthcare podcast titled “America Dissected,” where he leveraged his credentials as a doctor and hawked questionable health and wellness products.
Ironically, he had called out others, such as current Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, for trying to “sell people s— they didn’t need.”
He’s also tried to paint his main political rival, Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.), as a corporate shill despite his past work hosting an ad-supported podcast.
Hasan also pressed El-Sayed over his push to delay the release of his tax returns until after the Aug. 4 Democratic primary.
“No, just taxes get complicated,” El-Sayed said when asked if he was trying to avoid being transparent about his finances. “My wife and her family own property abroad, and, so, getting all those tax forms is a thing.”
