Michigan Dem: Don’t talk about Khamenei; Dearborn voters are ‘sad’

 by Greg Richter

Democrats love to say their problem is messaging but sometimes it’s the message that’s the problem.

Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed is learning that the hard way. Leaked audio has surfaced of El-Sayed telling staffers he didn’t want to say anything about the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — because, in his words, “there are a lot of people in Dearborn who are sad.”

The New York Post reports the recording came from a March 1 strategy call, the day after Khamenei was killed in an Israeli strike. On that call, El-Sayed urged his team to stay quiet on the subject entirely.

The Washington Free Beacon, which obtained the audio, quoted him directly: “I also want to remind you guys that there are a lot of people in Dearborn who are sad today. So, like, I just don’t want to comment on Khamenei at all. Like, I don’t think it’s worth even touching that.”

This wasn’t someone being careful about the fog of war or worrying about civilian casualties. It was a straightforward political calculation: Don’t say anything that might alienate a key voting bloc, even if that means staying silent about the death of one of the world’s most consequential bad guys.

Khamenei spent decades at the helm of a regime that bankrolled terrorism, jailed and killed dissidents, crushed women’s rights, persecuted religious minorities and exported chaos across the Middle East. You don’t have to cheer every Israeli military operation to find it troubling that a U.S. Senate candidate’s first instinct was to worry about voters who were grieving him.

It gets worse. According to the Free Beacon, El-Sayed also mapped out a deflection strategy for reporters, saying: “I’m just gonna go straight to pedophilia, frankly” — meaning he planned to pivot to Trump and Jeffrey Epstein if pressed.

Mediaite confirmed the key details, noting El-Sayed’s concern that supporters might be upset if anyone was seen “celebrating” Khamenei’s death.

Sure, politicians shape their message for different audiences. That’s not news. But there’s a difference between adjusting your tone and refusing to say anything at all because a theocrat’s death might upset your base. At some point, the calculation itself tells you something about the candidate and his coalition.

Michigan Democrats have spent years arguing that the party’s more radical factions can be kept in check. This audio suggests otherwise.

If El-Sayed is afraid to say Khamenei’s death was good today, what else won’t he say once he actually needs those voters to show up?

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/03/michigan_dem_don_t_talk_about_khamenei_because_dearborn_voters_are_sad.html