El-Sayed Names Fetterman in 'Ogre on a Pike' Remark, Refuses Retraction Before Aug. 4 Primary
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 28
El-Sayed Names Fetterman in 'Ogre on a Pike' Remark, Refuses Retraction Before Aug. 4 Primary
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 28
Summary
Monday night's Michigan Senate debate put Abdul El-Sayed under pressure over a leaked donor-call remark, and he said the “ogre on a pike” target was Sen. John Fetterman—not rival Haley Stevens—while declining to apologize.
Politico had reported El-Sayed used the metaphor while discussing how a Michigan primary win could help push Democrats left and back future primary challenges, including against Fetterman.
El-Sayed defended the substance of the comment as a call to hold elected Democrats to their campaign values, then pivoted to accuse AIPAC-linked super PAC attacks of fueling the backlash.
Stevens and her allies used the exchange to portray El-Sayed as focused on personal insults and national ambitions, while critics from both parties called the imagery violent and, in some cases, sexist.
The flare-up landed in the final stretch of the Aug. 4 Democratic primary, days after El-Sayed and Stevens had already clashed over campaign finance, Israel policy and electability in a race key to Senate control.