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Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed’s victory in Michigan gubernatorial race was driven more by economic concerns than by his Muslim identity, journalist and political commentator Mehdi Hasan has said, arguing that the candidate's focus on healthcare, the cost of living and money in politics helped him win support across communities.
In an exclusive interview with India Today, Hasan, editor of digital news platform Zeteo and a vocal critic of US President Donald Trump, said El-Sayed had run a populist campaign centred on issues affecting ordinary Americans. He rejected suggestions that the result could be explained primarily by support from Michigan's Muslim population.
"He ran on a very simple, tried and tested campaign for people who are mad," Hasan said.
He said El-Sayed had built his campaign around issues such as Medicare for All, access to healthcare, reducing the influence of money in politics and putting more money in people's pockets. Hasan compared the candidate's approach to that of New York politician Zohran Mamdani, whose campaign also focused on the cost of living and economic concerns.
Hasan argued that El-Sayed's victory could not be attributed to Muslim voters alone, pointing out that Muslims make up only a small share of Michigan's population. He said the candidate had managed to appeal to voters across demographic and political groups.
ECONOMIC POPULISM GAINS GROUND AMONG DEMOCRATS
Hasan said economic populism was becoming a more prominent force within the Democratic Party, with candidates increasingly taking on billionaires, large corporations and the influence of wealthy donors. He also pointed to growing opposition to AI data centres, saying concerns about their economic and social consequences were becoming part of the wider debate.
According to Hasan, the political message associated with Senator Bernie Sanders during his 2016 presidential campaign had since moved into the mainstream of the Democratic Party.
He said El-Sayed's campaign reflected a broader shift towards addressing economic inequality and the concerns of voters struggling with the cost of living.
Hasan said the midterm results offered some hope to those opposing hate and division, particularly after what he described as an Islamophobic campaign against El-Sayed. However, he questioned whether Democratic leaders would use their congressional majority to deliver on their promises and hold the Trump administration accountable.
IRAN WAR, CORRUPTION BEHIND REPUBLICAN SETBACK: HASAN
Hasan also said the Iran war and corruption in the Donald Trump administration were major factors behind the Republican Party's defeat in the US midterm elections, calling the conflict the "root of all evil" behind the party's electoral setback.
He said the war pushed up fuel and grocery prices and undermined Trump's campaign promise that the United States would not enter new wars.
"The Iran war is the root of all evil when it comes to the failure of the Republicans to make any headway in these elections," Hasan told India Today TV.
He said Trump had promised voters that he would bring down the cost of living and end inflation, but the conflict had the opposite effect. Hasan also pointed to Vice President JD Vance's social media post blaming the Iran war for the Republican losses.
Corruption had also emerged as a major issue for American voters, Hasan said, citing a Fox News poll conducted before the midterm elections that found it was the country's top concern.
"Americans are so fed up with the corruption they're seeing, the grift in Washington, DC, that it was a top issue in a lot of polls," he said.
Hasan argued that Democrats should make investigations into alleged corruption a priority after taking control of both chambers of Congress.
'TRUMPISM IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE'
Despite the Republican defeat, Hasan cautioned against interpreting the results as the end of Trumpism or the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.
He said Trump would remain in office until January 2029 and warned that the political movement he had built would continue long after his presidency.
"Trumpism, MAGA, this neo-fascist movement, will be with us for a long time to come. It may even get worse," Hasan said.
He added that younger Republicans who had grown up during Trump's political rise over the past decade were, in his assessment, even further to the right than the President.
Hasan said the next two years would be crucial for Democrats to present an alternative model of governance and policies while placing checks on Trump's power.
WHY HASAN WANTS DEMOCRATS TO FOCUS ON INVESTIGATIONS
Hasan also discussed whether Democrats would seek to impeach Trump after taking control of Congress. He said the party's leadership was not keen on pursuing impeachment, partly because it would be difficult to secure enough Senate votes to convict the President.
He suggested that Democrats could instead focus on investigations into other members of the Trump administration and people close to him.
Among those he named were Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, White House aide Stephen Miller and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Hasan argued that Democrats had limited time and resources and should pursue what he described as more accessible targets for investigation.
He also said the party's response to the midterm results would be crucial. While the Republican losses offered Democrats an opportunity to challenge the Trump administration, he remained sceptical about whether their leaders would use their congressional majority to deliver on their promises.
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