'I'm dangerous': Abdul El-Sayed pushes back on opponent's attack

WASHINGTON, DC: Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed pushed back on his opponent's repeated "danger" characterization, saying he is instead "dangerous to the current system."

El-Sayed argued that big corporations can influence politicians and "keep picking your pocket" under the current system.

The comments came during a Senate debate that aired on FOX 2 on Tuesday, September 15, with El-Sayed appearing after Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers declined the invitation.

Abdul El-Sayed says corporations have too much power

El-Sayed said his definition of danger was tied to challenging a political and economic system he believes favors large corporations.

"But you know what I'm dangerous for? If I'm dangerous for anything, I'm dangerous to the current system that allows big corporations to keep picking your pocket because they buy off your politicians," El-Sayed said.

He argued that voters do not have to identify as socialists to support policies such as health care, good roads, and strong schools.

"You don't have to be a socialist to believe that people deserve health care," El-Sayed said. "You don't have to be a socialist to believe that we need good roads."

El-Sayed also argued that capitalism itself is threatened by concentrated corporate power, rather than government regulation alone.

"The biggest risk to capitalism, as argued by the guy who coined the term capitalism, was not government regulation. It was always going to be monopoly and oligopoly," he said.

Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed rejects DSA alignment question

The exchange began with the host asking El-Sayed about the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and whether he had deep alignments with its values.

"You know, at the end of the day, I know I'm here to answer questions, but I'm just going to tell you I'm not a part of the organization," El-Sayed said. 

"I don't know why you want to ask me this question?" he added.

El-Sayed then contrasted what he described as capitalism with what he called "corporatism," arguing that large companies can prevent smaller businesses from competing.

"We don't live in capitalism. We live in corporatism, and I think it's important to let us back into capitalism," he said.

He said that would allow people to build companies without worrying about a larger corporation buying them too early or pushing them out of competition.

Abdul El-Sayed invokes Adam Smith in closing argument

El-Sayed also invoked Adam Smith as he argued that economic systems require moral standards.

Adam Smith was a Scottish philosopher and economist who is widely regarded as the father of modern economics.

"I'll just finish with one last quote from the guy who coined the term capitalism, Adam Smith," he said. "There's no market without morals."

El-Sayed then directed his criticism toward his Republican opponent, Mike Rogers, saying Rogers had made $14 million advising corporations that El-Sayed said he had previously regulated. 

El-Sayed also criticized President Donald Trump, saying Trump made $2.2 billion "off the presidency."

"We need morals back in our government, and you don't have to be a socialist or a member of DSA to be able to believe that," El-Sayed said.

El-Sayed closed by saying he wanted a senator willing to challenge corporations.

"I think we need a senator who's willing to step up to those corporations right about now, or at least show up and answer your questions," he said.