El-Sayed Reportedly Gets Fundraising Boost from Viral Clash With Fox’s Jesse Watters

Fox News

The campaign of Dr. Abdul El-Sayed said it received a fundraising windfall after the candidate’s appearance last week on Fox News.

Last Monday, El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan, appeared on Jesse Watters Primetime, where the candidate and host sparred in a contentious and sometimes bizarre 25-minute interview. Jesse Watters asked El-Sayed about his campaign positions on abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, taxing the ultra-wealthy, and other topics. The host also inquired about gender-affirming surgery for minors, which prompted El-Sayed to ask Watters, “Are you circumcised?”

El-Sayed mostly dodged questions about cultural issues and repeatedly attempted to steer the conversation toward matters of affordability and healthcare.

On Monday, Puck News reported that the appearance helped El-Sayed’s campaign, or at least its coffers. The campaign said it saw online fundraising rise by 30% in the three days after the interview, relative to the three days before. The majority of donations came from people who had not donated to his campaign before.

During the interview, Watters accused El-Sayed of being “a little naive.” However, in multiple appearances on Fox News after the interview, Watters said that while El-Sayed would not make a good senator, he nonetheless is personally fond of the candidate.

“I actually like Abdul. I probably shouldn’t like him, but I do. I think he’d be a terrible senator and he’s a little bit of a lunatic,” Watters said. “But at least he’s not your typical stiff.”

El-Sayed will face former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) in November.

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