Michigan Senate Candidate Abdul El-Sayed Calls U.S. Political System a "Disease"

What Happened?

Imagine a big town hall meeting where people stand on stage and share their feelings about the country. That’s what happened in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

• Abdul El-Sayed is running to become a Senator (a kind of lawmaker) for Michigan.
• He was born in America to Egyptian parents and used to be a doctor and public health official (someone who helps keep communities healthy).
• On Sunday, at the final stop of a tour called "The People v. The Powerful" at DeVos Performance Hall, he said America’s political system is like a “disease.”
• Just moments before, he said he loves America because it gave him a great education.

Important Point: El-Sayed said he loves America AND thinks its political system is broken. Both can be true at the same time!

Who Else Was There?

El-Sayed was not alone on stage. He spoke alongside two well-known politicians:

1. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) – a Democrat from New York.
2. Sen. Bernie Sanders – an Independent from Vermont (Independents are politicians who don’t strictly belong to the big parties).

Together, they criticized:

• President Donald Trump
• Leaders of political parties
• Big corporations (huge companies)
• ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement – the agency that handles immigration laws)

Loving America but Seeing Problems

El-Sayed reflected on his life:

• He got an “incredible” education at a public university (school paid for by the public).
• His medical training was funded by the National Institutes of Health (a government group that supports health research).
• He said: “I love America… I know what America gave to me.”
• But he also said we must think about the “worst moments” in America’s 250 years.

The "Disease" vs. The "Symptom"

El-Sayed explained his idea using a simple health analogy (a comparison to being sick):

• Symptom: Something you see when sick, like a cough.
• Disease: The deeper problem causing the symptom.

He said:

• Donald Trump is not the disease himself.
• Trump is just the worst symptom of the disease.
• The real disease? A system that lets corporations, billionaires (super rich people), and special interests like AIPAC (a group that supports Israel) “buy and sell politicians” to rig the system against regular folks.

AOC agreed and told the crowd:

“You deserve a politics that treats the disease and not the symptoms.”

Healthcare and Medical Debt

El-Sayed also talked about the healthcare system (doctors, hospitals, and how we pay for them).

• He said medical debt shouldn’t exist (medical debt = money people owe because they got sick or hurt).
• He claimed the U.S. has about $225 billion in medical debt.
• He said it could be wiped away for about $2.25 billion because debt collectors can buy it “for a penny on the dollar” (meaning 1 cent for every 100 cents owed).
• He compared that small cost to what the government spends on political campaigns and foreign aid (help to other countries).

ICE Should Be Abolished

El-Sayed then talked about ICE.

• He called it a “rogue agency” (an organization acting on its own in a bad way).
• He said ICE has nothing to do with real immigration or the border.
• Instead, he said it puts paramilitary forces (like soldiers but not official army) on streets and goes against the Constitution (the rulebook of the U.S.).
• His big conclusion:
  • ICE cannot be reformed (fixed).
  • ICE cannot be retrained (taught better).
  • ICE has to be abolished (shut down completely).

El-Sayed Says He’s “Dangerous”

The Senate candidate described himself as “dangerous” — but not in a scary way. He means dangerous to powerful groups:

• To health insurers (companies that handle medical bills): “If you’re Blue Cross Blue Shield, I’m dangerous.”
• To Democratic leaders like Chuck Schumer (a top Democrat) who he says trades politicians “like trading cards.”

Summary

Abdul El-Sayed, a Michigan Senate candidate, told a crowd in Grand Rapids that he loves America but believes its political system is a “disease” that lets the rich and corporations control politicians. He stood with AOC and Bernie Sanders to criticize Trump, party leaders, big business, and ICE. He wants medical debt erased, ICE abolished, and says he is a threat to health insurers and political bosses.

FAQ

Q: Who is Abdul El-Sayed?
A: He is an Egyptian American physician and former public health official running to be a U.S. Senator from Michigan.

Q: What did he mean by “disease” of politics?
A: He meant the system lets corporations, billionaires, and groups like AIPAC buy political influence, which he says hurts regular people.

Q: Why did he say Trump is a “symptom”?
A: Because he believes Trump is a result of the broken system, not the root cause of the problem.

Q: What is ICE and why does he want it gone?
A: ICE is the immigration enforcement agency. El-Sayed calls it a rogue agency that should be abolished because he says it threatens the Constitution.

Q: What is “medical debt” and why does it matter?
A: It is money people owe for healthcare. El-Sayed says it should not exist and could be erased cheaply by buying the debt at a huge discount.