El-Sayed's Strategy: Silence on Khamenei, Criticize Trump

0:00On March 30, audio leaked from a strategy call shows Michigan's Senate candidate, Abdul El Sayed, telling his team to stay silent on the death of Iran's. Ayatollah Ali Kaminay, after U.S. and Israeli air strikes, hit on February 28th. He made it clear he wouldn't comment at all, stressing the need to keep the moral highground and avoid justifying the strike. On that March 1st call, El Sayed pointed out how folks in Dearborn, with its big Muslim community were grieving. He coached his advisors to dodge reporter questions by pivoting straight to slamming President Trump instead. El Sayed's stance fits his campaign push against U.S. backing for Israel, something he's hit hard in speeches and interviews. His team weighed messaging on the whole conflict, with some pushing back on going too far with Israel critiques. Meanwhile, other Dems in the August 4th Michigan primary see it differently. State Senator Mallory McMarol blasts U.S. meddling abroad, while Congresswoman Hayley Stevens calls out Iran's trouble making and wants Congress, checking military moves.

1:05This tape drops a window into how campaigns juggle foreign flare-ups with home state votes, especially in spots like Dearborn that shape the playbook. That's your update from U.S. News Today, powered by AI.