Abdul El‑Sayed’s 2012 Obama criticism resurfaces ahead of Michigan rally
The 2012 HuffPost piece, in which El‑Sayed called Obama’s record “a list of failures,” has been highlighted by media outlets as the rally approaches.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Democratic Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El‑Sayed’s 2012 HuffPost essay criticizing former President Barack Obama has resurfaced as the two are set to appear together at a campaign rally later this month in Michigan.
What happened
The essay, written shortly after Obama’s 2012 re‑election, accused the president of perpetuating war, violating civil liberties and deporting more people than any prior administration. Both nypost.com and legalinsurrection.com reported that the piece resurfaced in early October 2026 as the campaign prepares for the rally.
What the reports add
- nypost.com noted that El‑Sayed had once praised Obama’s 2008 victory, saying it was the first time he saw himself reflected in politics, before publishing the critical op‑ed.
- nypost.com also cited El‑Sayed’s 2017 Vox interview in which he called Obama’s policies “fairly centrist, middle‑of‑the‑road” and his 2020 University of Chicago Institute of Politics panel remarks warning Democrats not to repeat “the same mistakes of the past eight years under Barack Obama.”
- nypost.com included a Reuters quote from El‑Sayed after Vice President Kamala Harris’s September visit, stating, “I appreciate the fact that we don’t give him credit for what he did for the economy in the short term. But the structure of the economy did not change under Barack Obama.”
- legalinsurrection.com identified CNN reporter Andrew Kaczynski as the source of the “KFile” that first flagged the essay, describing it as information that could create an “uncomfortable atmosphere” at the rally.
- legalinsurrection.com reproduced additional passages from the 2012 essay, including El‑Sayed’s criticism of the Affordable Care Act as a “watered‑down reform that kowtows to the interests of healthcare lobbies,” and his condemnation of the expansion of the war on terror, drone strikes, widening inequality, and erosion of civil liberties.
- legalinsurrection.com quoted El‑Sayed’s claim that Obama’s presidency helped set conditions for Donald Trump’s rise, and his statement that “we are not, as a country, better off eight years after Obama was elected in 2008 than we were when he was elected,” adding “I say this as somebody who loves him deeply.”
What was said
“This leader has perpetuated war, violated our civil liberties, deported more people from our shores than any other president before him, and the list of his failures goes on.”
— quoted from El‑Sayed’s 2012 HuffPost essay, cited by both outlets.
“I have to say now what I’ve been holding in throughout his campaign, and what I think all of us have to admit: Obama was not the right choice — he just wasn’t the wrong one.”
— El‑Sayed, as quoted by nypost.com.
“The jubilation of his 2008 election will forever live with me… but that memory will serve not as a reminder of the history we made that night — but of the silly emotions of a naïve young man who didn’t understand that hope and change required more than flowery prose and a winning smile.”
— El‑Sayed, 2012 op‑ed, referenced by both sources.
“We are not, as a country, better off eight years after Obama was elected in 2008 than we were when he was elected. And I say this as somebody who loves him deeply.”
— El‑Sayed, legalinsurrection.com.
How it came about
El‑Sayed’s campaign has been buoyed by high‑profile Democratic figures. Vice President Kamala Harris visited Michigan in September to back him, focusing on Black maternal health and healthcare costs (see Felo’s coverage). The resurfacing of the 2012 criticism emerged after CNN’s Andrew Kaczynski highlighted the essay in a KFile report, prompting renewed media attention ahead of the Obama‑El‑Sayed rally.
Key facts
- Abdul El‑Sayed wrote a 2012 HuffPost essay criticizing Barack Obama’s record. (nypost.com)
- The essay resurfaced in early October 2026 as El‑Sayed prepares for a rally with Obama in Michigan. (legalinsurrection.com)
- El‑Sayed previously praised Obama’s 2008 victory as personally inspiring. (nypost.com)
Timeline
- 2012-11-07 — El‑Sayed publishes critical essay in HuffPost after Obama’s re‑election.
- 2026-09-16 — Vice President Kamala Harris visits Michigan to support El‑Sayed.
- 2026-10-08 — Media outlets report the resurfacing of El‑Sayed’s Obama criticism ahead of rally.
Sources
- [1] nypost.com
- [2] legalinsurrection.com
