MS NOW’s Stephanie Ruhle reacted to Vice President JD Vance calling Michigan Democrat Senate candidate Abudl El-Sayed “very evil” on Tuesday’s Money, Power, Politics by claiming such attacks actually help him. In order to make such a far-fetched argument, Ruhle had to omit any context from Vance’s remarks and pretend that by calling him evil, all El-Sayed has to do to respond is say he supports “affordable health care.”
Addressing Boston Globe political reporter James Pindell, Ruhle left out two critically important bits of information as she wondered, “Abdul El-Sayed, at an event in Michigan, our vice president, JD Vance, called El-Sayed ‘very evil.’ Is this a politically savvy move? Do Michigan voters say, 'Right on'? Because it was just last week that El-Sayed was on Fox News. And the anchor there really tried to trip him up, only resulting in that anchor the next day saying, ‘I kind of like the guy.’”
After JD Vance called Abdul El-Sayed "very evil," MS NOW's Stephanie Ruhle rushed into to defend him, "Because it was just last week that El-Sayed was on Fox News. And the anchor there really tried to trip him up, only resulting in that anchor the next day saying, “I kind of like… pic.twitter.com/UhKjx3ZLYe
— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) September 1, 2026
The first crucial fact Ruhle omitted was that Vance was talking about El-Sayed associating with 9/11 apologist Hasan Piker and his “hurt people, hurt people” response to the terrorist attack on Temple Israel in Michigan back in March. Second of all, “the anchor” in question is Jesse Watters, and Ruhle omitted that while Watters did say, “I actually like Abdul. I probably shouldn't like him, but I do,” he added. “I think he'd be a terrible senator and he's a little bit of a lunatic…But at least he's not your typical stiff.”
Not to be outdone, Pindell responded with his own glaring omission as he tried to paint April as ancient history while also claiming Vance’s attacks on El-Sayed actually help him, “I mean, it was odd. I mean, what JD Vance was going off on was a comment made in April by El-Sayed. And we're bringing this back up. And obviously, you're not talking about his opponent, Mike Rogers, a person he's trying to help. And all you're doing is elevating and help El-Sayed raise even more money nationwide, which is clearly something he's been doing. That's why he's been on Fox News.”
Those April comments were presumably, “What do you think is going through Usha’s head when [JD Vance] talks? She’s like, ‘Damn, I have to sleep with him.'”
Ruhle agreed that attacking El-Sayed actually helps him, “I mean, every time he says he's evil, El-Sayed is just going to pump out an ad saying, 'Yes, evil for trying to get affordable health care, clean water and good schools.' It, sort of, blows my mind.”
Pindell interjected to add, “And cash in your pocket, I think is what he says. Yeah.”
The only way to possibly believe that Vance’s attack on El-Sayed benefits El-Sayed is to strip it of all its context, which is precisely what Ruhle and Pindell did.
Here is a transcript for the September 1 show:
MS NOW Money, Power, Politics with Stephanie Ruhle
9/1/2026
9:14 PM ET
STEPHANIE RUHLE: James, last question to you. Abdul El-Sayed, at an event in Michigan, our vice president, JD Vance, called El-Sayed “very evil.” Is this a politically savvy move? Do Michigan voters say, “Right on”? Because it was just last week that El-Sayed was on Fox News. And the anchor there really tried to trip him up, only resulting in that anchor the next day saying, “I kind of like the guy.”
JAMES PINDELL: I mean, it was odd. I mean, what JD Vance was going off on was a comment made in April by El-Sayed. And we're bringing this back up. And obviously, you're not talking about his opponent, Mike Rogers, a person he's trying to help. And all you're doing is elevating and help El-Sayed raise even more money nationwide, which is clearly something he's been doing. That's why he's been on Fox News.
RUHLE: I mean, every time he says he's evil, El-Sayed is just going to pump out an ad saying, yes, evil for trying to get affordable health care, clean water and good schools. It, sort of, blows my mind.
PINDELL: And cash in your pocket, I think is what he says. Yeah.
