WASHINGTON — Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed got a grilling from a lefty anchor Wednesday about whether he lied by describing himself as a physician despite lacking a current medical license.
El-Sayed’s LinkedIn page describes him as a physician, and he claimed to be “a physician and epidemiologist” during an April debate.
“You got attacked by your rivals for calling yourself a physician, not just a doctor, even though you don’t have a valid state medical license in New York or Michigan, which apparently is what you need legally to call yourself a physician,” Zeteo founder Mehdi Hasan pressed El-Sayed, questioning whether the candidate should have just called himself a doctor to avoid the drama.
“At the end of the day, it’s not about whether or not I’m a physician or a doctor,” El-Sayed replied. “It’s not about my education. It’s about whether or not your kid gets a good education.”
Hasan called out the attempted dodge and stressed that people will question whether “you tell the truth.”
That prompted El-Sayed to pivot to touting his time in public health, including as the director of the Department of Health, Human, and Veterans Services in Wayne County, Mich.
“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 countered. “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.”
