Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan, appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday and outlined plans contingent on Democrats securing a Senate majority after the November elections. In the interview with Jake Tapper, El-Sayed stated that reigniting partisan investigations into the Trump Administration would be a priority if he wins his race and Democrats take control of the chamber.
“We ran this campaign to do three things: get money out of politics, put money in your pocket, past Medicare for all. When I’m elected to the U.S. Senate, the first thing we need to do is start holding the Trump administration accountable,” the DSA-backed nominee told Tapper.
He continued by specifying the mechanism for such actions. “You know, when we win, God willing, I will take my seat as a member of a Senate majority. That gives us subpoena power to be able to investigate all of the ways that this administration has used their power for their gain and enrichment and against ours,” he said.
“And I think that means hauling them up to really understand all the conversations that were had about who got to get refunds after this terrible tariff policy, who got to get excluded from those refunds. It means hauling up people like RFK Jr. and holding them accountable for the DOGE-ing of our public health apparatus, for which we now need to be dodging lettuce across the state of Michigan, for fear of getting explosive diarrhea, which nobody ever thought would be a consequence of electing Donald Trump, but here we are,” El-Sayed added.
Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed says he is running for Senate to stop President Trump and to hold his administration “accountable.”
EL-SAYED: “The first thing we need to do is start holding the Trump administration accountable…” pic.twitter.com/SALyvYwlRZ
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 9, 2026
“So it’s those powers and then the ability to set up to build the runway for a president in 2028 who can come in and start doing the things to hold big corporations accountable, to start enforcing antitrust policy, to start rethinking our tax system, so it’s less burdensome on everyday people and we’re taxing billionaires their wealth, and to stand up for unions, who have been critical to winning fair wages.”
El-Sayed secured the Democratic nomination on August 4 by defeating establishment-backed Rep. Haley Stevens in a narrow primary contest. Stevens had received support from figures including Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, retiring Senator Gary Peters, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), along with significant outside spending.
He now faces former Rep. Mike Rogers, the Republican nominee, in the general election. Recent polling averages show the matchup remaining close, with some surveys indicating a slight edge for Rogers and others reflecting a near-even split in a race that will help determine overall Senate control.
