On Saturday, former President Barack Obama addressed a Detroit rally, endorsing Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El‑Sayed. Obama praised El‑Sayed for championing “real change that will get money out of politics and put money in your pocket,” while highlighting the importance of early voting in Michigan.
Speaking before a crowd of thousands at Cass Technical High School in Detroit, Obama declared that El‑Sayed would “finish the job we started with the Affordable Care Act and guarantee quality, affordable health care to every single American.”
The former president headlined an evening get‑out‑the‑vote event for Democratic US Senate nominee Abdul El‑Sayed, Secretary of State candidate Jocelyn Benson, and the party’s gubernatorial nominee.
He accused President Donald Trump of “enriching himself and his family” and said the administration had cultivated a “culture … at the top” of accepting favors, adding, “Never have I seen a president so intent on selling favors like this.”
The event took place on the first day of Michigan’s early voting period ahead of the 3 November general election. It marked former President Obama’s first in‑person campaigning weekend for the midterms, following an earlier appearance in Cleveland, Ohio, where he supported former Ohio senator Sherrod Brown and Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Amy Acton. Throughout his remarks he continued to criticize the White House and the Republican Party.
The Detroit rally marked former President Obama’s first public endorsement of El‑Sayed, who had remained on the sidelines during a contentious August primary. El‑Sayed, a physician and former Wayne County health official, prevailed over moderate Congresswoman Haley Stevens, whose campaign was backed by the Democratic establishment and pro‑Israel groups.
Turning his fire on the administration, Obama ridiculed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, calling him “laser‑focused” on “the jawline and testosterone levels of our troops” and asking, “How much time do you think this man spends in front of the mirror every day?”
Commenting on tariffs, Obama noted that Trump had targeted “that well‑known evil empire”—a reference to Canada, just a short drive across the bridge from Detroit—joking, “These are the people who gave us Martin Short and maple syrup.”
Uncertainty had lingered over whether Obama would endorse El‑Sayed. Although El‑Sayed, a leading advocate for Medicare for All, once described the Affordable Care Act—Obama’s signature domestic achievement—as an incremental fix, the two men spoke by phone after the primary, and El‑Sayed has since referred to Obama as a mentor.
El‑Sayed faces an uphill battle in Wayne County, where Detroit is the county seat and where he lost to Stevens by roughly 51% to 45% in the August primary. Obama previously campaigned in Detroit—a city that is over three‑quarters Black—in October 2024 for Kamala Harris, and Harris herself appeared alongside El‑Sayed in Detroit last month.
Republicans have not held Michigan’s Senate seat for a quarter‑century, yet they view this contest as a top pickup opportunity. El‑Sayed’s opponent is former congressman Mike Rogers, who carries Donald Trump’s endorsement and narrowly missed defeating Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin by less than half a percentage point in 2024. The Cook Political Report currently classifies the race as a toss‑up.
Trump is scheduled to visit Michigan on Sunday, holding a rally for state Republicans in Port Huron near the Canadian border. The city says this will mark the first presidential visit to St. Clair County.
Should he win, El‑Sayed would become the first Muslim and first Egyptian‑American U.S. Senator. Meanwhile, Secretary of State candidate Jocelyn Benson faces Republican Congressman John James; a James victory would make him Michigan’s first Black governor.
Addressing occasional policy disagreements, Obama noted that some observers had observed El‑Sayed “didn’t like some things you did as president.” “We are not going to agree on every detail of every issue,” he remarked, adding, “You know who else doesn’t agree with everything I do? Michelle Obama.”
“We share those values of making sure everybody gets a fair shot in this society,” Obama concluded, “and that the system’s not just run for those at the top.”
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