{"id":2649913,"date":"2026-08-26T12:12:59","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T16:12:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jesse-watters-says-i-actually-like-abdul-el-sayed-after-interview\/"},"modified":"2026-08-26T12:18:16","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T16:18:16","slug":"jesse-watters-says-i-actually-like-abdul-el-sayed-after-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jesse-watters-says-i-actually-like-abdul-el-sayed-after-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"Jesse Watters says &#8216;I actually like&#8217; Abdul el Sayed after interview"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fjesse-watters-says-i-actually-like-abdul-el-sayed-after-interview%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2649913&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Fox News host Jesse Watters complimented Democratic Senate candidate Abdul el Sayed, describing him as \u201cnot your typical stiff,\u201d though he also stated he believes el Sayed woudl be a \u201cterrible senator.\u201d Watters hosted el Sayed on his show, resulting in a contentious interview where they debated topics like healthcare, the national budget, and transgender issues. The exchange became heated, with a notable moment when el Sayed asked Watters if he was circumcised during a discussion about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/arizona-gov-doug-ducey-signs-bills-addressing-hot-button-social-issues\/\" title=\"Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey Signs Bills Addressing Hot Button Social Issues\">child sex change surgeries<\/a>. this interview attracted media attention and sparked debate over whether it was appropriate for el Sayed, a progressive backed by figures like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, to appear on Fox News. Watters compared el Sayed\u2019s media appearance to leftist backlash against Hakeem Jeffries\u2019s meeting with jared Kushner, suggesting el Sayed was trying to help Michigan and himself by participating. Simultaneously occurring, el Sayed is running against former GOP Rep. Mike Rogers in Michigan\u2019s Senate race, which is highly competitive. Rogers criticized el Sayed for his stance on the Green New Deal,pointing out discrepancies between his words and record.The race is considered very close, with recent polls showing it as a toss-up.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fox News host <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jesse-watters\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"11161\">Jesse Watters<\/a> gave a sparing compliment to Democratic Senate candidate <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/abdul-el-sayed\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"23138\">Abdul el Sayed<\/a>, calling him \u201cnot your typical stiff,\u201d while emphasizing he thinks the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/michigan\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"655\">Michigan<\/a> leftist would be a \u201cterrible senator.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI actually like Abdul. I probably shouldn\u2019t like him, but I do. I think he\u2019d be a terrible senator, and he\u2019s a little bit of a lunatic. But at least he\u2019s not your typical stiff,\u201d Watters said on his show <em>Jesse Watters Primetime<\/em> Tuesday.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4700896\/david-scott-daughter-loses-georgia-special-election\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>David Scott\u2019s daughter loses special election to fill his vacant seat<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/4700723\/jesse-watters-compliments-abdul-el-sayed-after-interview\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Jesse Watters says \u2018I actually like\u2019 Abdul el Sayed after interviewing him<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4700582\/trump-backed-candidates-graham-nordone-mazzei-latest-endorsement-power-test\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump-backed candidates triumph in latest endorsement power test<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Watters hosted el Sayed on his show on Monday in what turned into a contentious interview, as the two sparred over el Sayed\u2019s healthcare plans, the national budget, and his views on <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/transgender\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"369\">transgender<\/a> issues. The Monday night exchange brought several heated and even awkward moments, including one where a back-and-forth between the primetime host and Senate candidate over child sex change surgeries prompted el Sayed to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/el-sayeds-ding-a-ling-defense-child-sex-changes-becomes-instant-attack-magnet-not-same-abdul\">ask Watters on air<\/a> if he was circumcised.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The interview drew a wave of media attention as pundits sparred over whether or not it was the right move for leftist el Sayed, who is backed by several <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/socialism\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"510\">socialists<\/a>, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), to appear on <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/fox-news\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"92\">Fox News<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his evening-after monologue, Watters <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/video\/6404049165112\">highlighted<\/a> several politicos who either said the move promoted a healthy disagreement or speculated about whether el Sayed should have kept to liberal airwaves. The Fox host compared it to the blowback from the left over Rep. Hakeem Jeffries\u2019s (D-NY) <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/4698946\/jeffries-kushner-meeting-trump-cartel-affordability\/\">meeting with Jared Kushner<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHakeem talked to Kushner because he wanted to help the country. Abdul talked to me because he wanted to help Michigan and himself,\u201d Watters said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">El Sayed is taking on former GOP Rep. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mike-rogers\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"1022\">Mike Rogers <\/a>in the Michigan Senate race. The two have swung back and forth with single-digit leads in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/polls\/michigan-us-senate-election-polls-2026.html\">recent polling<\/a> in the close race.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rogers blasted el Sayed for one of his answers in the Watters interview in a new video advertisement. The Rogers ad juxtaposed the fact that el Sayed told Watters he is \u201cnot going to defend the Green New Deal\u201d to several clips of the Democrat touting the proposed climate legislation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4699340\/el-sayed-slam-right-left-piker\/\">EL SAYED GETS SLAMMED FROM RIGHT AND LEFT AS HE REFUSES TO DISAVOW HASAN PIKER<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe only thing you can trust about a conman is that when he\u2019s talking, he\u2019s lying. Conman Abdul El-Sayed now says he \u2018won\u2019t defend\u2019 the Green New Deal. But his record tells a different story,\u201d Rogers <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MikeRogersForMI\/status\/2092309424828231953?s=20\">wrote on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The race to replace retiring Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) is listed as a \u201ctoss-up\u201d by election forecaster Cook Political Report.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Watters: I like Abdul, but he\u2019d be a bad senator<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3976,"featured_media":2649914,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-collage-8hq629x5h-1787750651934.jpg?1787741201&amp;w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[77374,6234,42107,5894],"class_list":["post-2649913","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-abdul-el-sayed","tag-interview","tag-jesse-watters","tag-politics"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-collage-8hq629x5h-1787750651934.jpg?1787741201&amp;w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2649913","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3976"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2649913"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2649913\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2649917,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2649913\/revisions\/2649917"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2649914"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2649913"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2649913"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2649913"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}