Daily Show Stumps For El-Sayed, Bashes Critics As Bigoted

Alex Christy
October 22nd, 2026 10:00 AM

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Comedian Mo Amer stopped by Comedy Central and The Daily Show on Wednesday to stump for Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and bash his critics as racist bigots.

Cueing up a clip montage, Amer declared, “But unfortunately for El-sayed's opponents, Islamophobia didn't stop him from winning the primary. So to beat him in the general election, they have a new strategy: More Islamophobia!”

One of the clips showed Sen. Tim Scott declaring, “El-Sayed panders with terrorists,” which would be hard to argue with, but Amer decided to pick on the low-hanging fruit of Kid Rock declaring, “We will never be one nation under Mohammed.”

 

 

Amer reacted by declaring Kid Rock knows nothing about Islam while also introducing another clip montage, “Wow, that lady in the hat is racist. Listen, ma'am, Muslims would also say, ‘One nation under God.’ We would never say ‘One nation under Mohammed,’ because we don't worship the prophet Mohammed! And two: We wouldn't even know which Mohammed you're talking about. Me? Chappell Roan? I don't know. There's over 150 million of us! Look, guys, it's 2026! And you're not going to beat El-Sayed by pushing outdated fears of Muslims. You got to also add outdated fears of communism?”

Following the montage, Amer returned with an exaggerated Texas accent, “Damn! He's Muslim and fascist and communist? I mean, [bleep] it. Why stop there? Might as well throw in Mexican, too. ‘Hey, y'all think about it: His name is El-Sayed! That's Mexican for ‘the Sayed.’ Come on, guys! Wake up, sheeple! Look at me! Wake up!’”

 

 

Introducing yet another montage, Amer continued, “Now, you might be wondering: How is this Muslim, jihadi, communist, Mexican beating his opponent in the polls? Well, it turns out, he's got a secret weapon. It's a devious, scheming, highly unorthodox approach that experts even refer to as... 'being likeable.’”

The final clip in the package showed Fox’s Jesse Watters declaring, “I actually like Abdul. I probably shouldn't like him, but I do.” Naturally, The Daily Show omitted the part where Watters proceeded to call El-Sayed a “lunatic,” but Amer reacted by breaking out in song, ‘My racist brain is telling me no! But my body! My body is telling me, yeah.’"

Eventually, Amer concluded, “So why do guys like Abdul El-Sayed and Zohran Mamdani keep having to prove over and over again that they're individual people and not just a collection of stereotypes? Because they're challenging a political system that was never really designed to accommodate them. Despite that, these guys are still willing to put themselves squarely in the crosshairs of bigotry and culture war politics to serve the country they love because in America, no matter your gender, race, or religion, anyone has an opportunity to get elected, serve the people, and make embarrassing TikToks that live forever on the internet.”

 

 

Amer has used The Daily Show’s “In My Opinion” segment to bash people as Islamophobic before. Back in April, he demanded people “stop using lazy tropes to divide people so you can bomb other countries.” It is Amer who is being lazy. El-Sayed has a history of radical statements and associations. It is not racist to point them out.

Here is a transcript for the October 21 show:

Comedy Central The Daily Show

10/21/2026

11:13 PM ET

MO AMER: But unfortunately for El-sayed's opponents, Islamophobia didn't stop him from winning the primary. So to beat him in the general election, they have a new strategy: More Islamophobia!

LELAND VITTERT: The way Abdul El-Sayed talks [jump cut] it is certainly jihadi adjacent.

CARL HIGBIE: If you're voting for Sayed, you might as well throw in a few burqas and mosques.

TIM SCOTT: El-Sayed panders with terrorists.

KID ROCK: We will never be one nation under Mohammed.

AMER: Wow, that lady in the hat is racist. Listen, ma'am, Muslims would also say, "One nation under God." We would never say "One nation under Mohammed," because we don't worship the prophet Mohammed! And two: We wouldn't even know which Mohammed you're talking about. Me? Chappell Roan? I don't know. There's over 150 million of us! Look, guys, it's 2026! And you're not going to beat El-Sayed by pushing outdated fears of Muslims. You got to also add outdated fears of communism?

…

AMER: Damn! He's Muslim and fascist and communist? I mean, [bleep] it. Why stop there? Might as well throw in Mexican, too. "Hey, y'all think about it: His name is El-Sayed! That's Mexican for ‘the Sayed.’ Come on, guys! Wake up, sheeple! Look at me! Wake up!"

Now, you might be wondering: How is this Muslim, jihadi, communist, Mexican beating his opponent in the polls? Well, it turns out, he's got a secret weapon. It's a devious, scheming, highly unorthodox approach that experts even refer to as... "being likeable."

RICH LOWRY: The problem is, he is charming.

ROB ASTORINO: He is a very charming guy, you know, and normal and that's what's frightening.

VITTERT: He is an Islamist version of Donald Trump [jump cut] charismatic on the stump and charming with the media.

JESSE WATTERS: I actually like Abdul. I probably shouldn't like him, but I do.

AMER: "My racist brain is telling me no! But my body! My body is telling me, yeah."

…

AMER: So why do guys like Abdul El-Sayed and Zohran Mamdani keep having to prove over and over again that they're individual people and not just a collection of stereotypes? Because they're challenging a political system that was never really designed to accommodate them. Despite that, these guys are still willing to put themselves squarely in the crosshairs of bigotry and culture war politics to serve the country they love because in America, no matter your gender, race, or religion, anyone has an opportunity to get elected, serve the people, and make embarrassing TikToks that live forever on the internet.

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