Fact Check: Did El-Sayed say he won’t work with Democrats and is starting his own party?
LANSING, MICHIGAN: Days after winning the midterm election, a rumor is circulating on social media platforms claiming Michigan Democratic Senate-elect Abdul El-Sayed said that he won’t work with the Democrats and is starting his own party. The claim has triggered scrutiny and concerns among online users, prompting a fact-check.
Claim: Abdul El-Sayed is starting his own party
According to a viral rumor on X, El-Sayed said he won’t work with Democrats & is starting his own party.
“He ran as a Democrat, used the primary process, & accepted Democratic support to get elected. Now that he has the office, he’s walking away from the party that put him there. He needed the Democratic machine to win; he no longer needs it to hold power,” the X post claimed, reacting to the alleged development.
Several such posts are circulating on X, Facebook, and Reddit, garnering millions of views, with many slamming El-Sayed, indicating that they believe the claim, while a few others remained skeptical and questioned the authenticity of the rumor.
Fact Check: No credible evidence to support the claim
The claim, however, is false, as there is no evidence of El-Sayed saying that he won’t work with the Democrats and is starting his own party.
Although he has been critical of the Democrats, there are no recent announcements, official statements, interviews, press conferences, or social media posts from the newly elected Senator about starting his own party.
If he had really made such an announcement, credible media outlets would have widely covered it, making headlines. A search on Google also yielded no such news reports, except for the social media posts sharing the claim.
However, available reports suggest that he said, “I'll work with anybody to serve the people of the state of Michigan. If they're serious about doing that, let's get some stuff done."
Abdul El-Sayed launches Habibi PAC
The claim surfaced after El-Sayed launched Habibi PAC, a political action committee, not a separate political party, just days after winning the election.
El-Sayed has used the Arabic word Habibi, a term of endearment meaning “my beloved,” used more casually.
His supporters even wore “Habibi for Abdul” shirts on the campaign trail.
“JD, habibi,” El-Sayed said in his victory speech, addressing Vice President Vance, who has harshly criticized him. “There is this delicious irony in the fact that you’re constitutionally obligated to swear me in in January.”
