Friday’s NBC Nightly News was the only network newscast to detail the newest controversy of Michigan Democratic Senate Candidate Abdul El-Sayed’s new conflict with his former Democratic primary opponent, Representative Haley Stevens. NBC noted that Stevens’ fiancé said he would not vote for El-Sayed, and detailed plans for Stevens to campaign with El-Sayed, which now seem up in the air.
Amid NBC’s mid-term reporting, with an initial focus on the Decoy Dan Sullivan story in Alaska and Trump rescheduling of rallies, White House correspondent Gabe Gutierrez talked about the Michigan Senate race, which he described as “getting more heated.”
After playing a clip of El-Sayed mocking Vice President JD Vance, Gutierrez turned to mention Stevens and her fiancé:
Friday’s NBC Nightly News was the ONLY network evening newscast to mention the conflict between Democratic Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and his former primary opponent, Haley Stevens.
Reporter Gabe Guttierez noted a planned campaign event between Stevens and… pic.twitter.com/RxnuACNoMI— Nick (@nspin310) October 31, 2026
El-Sayed, now set to campaign on Sunday for the first time with his democratic primary opponent, Haley Stevens. Though just days ago, her fiancé, a prominent Jewish Democrat, said he's voting for Rogers, pointing to El-Sayed views on Israel.
NBC played a clip of Stevens’ fiance, where he said, “He makes my community less safe. He makes a lot of communities.”
Gutierrez, doing his report just before the El-Sayed campaign seemed to want to distance himself from Stevens attending a campaign event, added, “But Stevens is calling Sunday's event a unifying moment."
He then noted the controversy of El-Sayed ignoring Stevens in the first place: “El-Sayed was pressed on why it took so long to campaign with her.”
Expectedly, El-Sayed had a meltdown after being asked the question. He told the reporter who pressed him on Stevens to “Ask me a serious question.”
Notably, the proposed campaign event is now in deep question, after a statement from the campaign complained about Steven’s donations from AIPAC from the primary she lost, and said, “Congresswoman Stevens seems intent on litigating a primary from three months ago.”
Politico’s Adam Wren has reported the campaign is “asking Stevens to stay away from all future campaign events in the closing days of the race”
One reason the El-Sayed campaign may be mad is Stevens’ insistence that El-Sayed condemn an advertisement from the PAC of The Young Turks founder Cenk Uyghur, also the uncle of terrorist sympathizer Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, that blamed Israel “killing Palestinians” for high grocery prices.
FOX News’s Rich Edson also detailed the El-Sayed/Stevens conflict just minutes before El-Sayed's campaign seemed to distance itself from wanting Haley Stevens to campaign with him, giving focus to El-Sayed's non-disavowal of an anti-Israel ad by Cenk Uygur: https://t.co/unsqIvHV48 pic.twitter.com/fIlasfF662
— Nick (@nspin310) October 31, 2026
On FOX News's Special Report, correspondent Rich Edson focused partly on the advertisement in a report on the Michigan race, with more focus on the Uyghur ad:
Democratic Congressman Hailey Stevens released a statement this morning that said she will, for the first time, campaign with El-Sayed. Now remember, she lost narrowly to El-Sayed in the Democratic primary. She hasn't campaigned with him yet, but first she's expecting El-Sayed to condemn this ad that Hasan Piker's uncle produced, one that blames inflation in Michigan on Israel.
Stevens says El-Sayed has made that argument himself and has challenged El-Sayed to get Israel out of his explanation for everything Michigan cannot afford.
ABC did not mention the Michigan Senate race as part of its midterms coverage of Friday night, as Jonathan Karl instead decided to continue to promote Kansas’s Democratic candidate for Senate.
CBS’s only mention of the Michigan race featured a preview of a Ross Douthat interview with Michigan’s Republican candidate for Senate, Mike Rogers. Earlier on Friday, CBS Mornings featured a preview of the El-Sayed interview, also set to air on the next 60 Minutes.
Unlike ABC and CBS, NBC Nightly News continues to heavily focus on El-Sayed's controversies, as it did when Llamas pushed El-Sayed on alleged ties to the Muslim Brotherhood earlier this month, to his displeasure.
The transcripts from NBC Nightly News and FNC's Special Report are below. Click "expand":
NBC Nightly News
October 30, 2026
6:35:55 PM Eastern
GABE GUTIERREZ: Now, in Michigan, the Senate race between Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul el-Sayed is getting even more heated.
ABDUL EL-SAYED (D-MI): What's his name? JV Dance. They keep sending JV here. JV’s got zero charisma.
GUTIERREZ: El-Sayed now set to campaign on Sunday for the first time with his democratic primary opponent. Haley Stevens. Though just days ago, her fiancé, a prominent Jewish Democrat, said he's voting for Rogers, pointing to el-sayed views on Israel.
JASON TURKISH (STEVENS’s FIANCE): He makes my community less safe. He makes a lot of communities.
GUTIERREZ: But Stevens is calling Sunday's event a unifying moment.
EL-SAYED: I’m grateful that we get to go out there and build together the movement that we need to win.
GUTIERREZ: El-Sayed was pressed on why it took so long to campaign with her.
EL-SAYED: Really asking the questions that the people want to hear. Really, this is about the key things. Why can't afford my groceries? Why does it take until Sunday to campaign with somebody? Ask me a serious question.
(...)
FNC’s Special Report with Bret Baier
October 30, 2026
6:02:54 PM Eastern
RICH EDSON: Abdul El-Sayed is about to take the stage in Westland, Michigan, where there is even more party infighting in a race that's already had plenty of it.
Democratic Congressman Hailey Stevens released a statement this morning that said she will, for the first time, campaign with El-Sayed. Now remember, she lost narrowly to El-Sayed in the Democratic primary. She hasn't campaigned with him yet, but first she's expecting El-Sayed to condemn this ad that Hasan Piker's uncle produced, one that blames inflation in Michigan on Israel.
Stevens says El-Sayed has made that argument himself and has challenged El-Sayed to get Israel out of his explanation for everything Michigan cannot afford.
Also, on a recent podcast, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticized El-Sayed's position on Israel, calling it more than concerning. It's wrong. Although she did later post that she expects voters to support El-Sayed along with every Democrat running for the United States Senate.
El-Sayed has blamed Republicans for, what he says is, inflaming racism on the campaign trail.”
(...)
