The Washington Post told its X followers that “in Dearborn, Michigan, many Trump 2024 voters describe Abdul El‑Sayed as an ‘America First’ Senate candidate due to his opposition to unconditional military aid to Israel and focus on the domestic economy,” according to a post dated Oct. 28, 2026 and cited by The Gateway Pundit (TGP).
What the Post claimed
TGP reproduced language it attributed to the Post’s story: “In Dearborn, the first Arab American-majority city, many Trump 2024 voters describe El‑Sayed as an ‘America First’ candidate due to his opposition to unconditional military aid to Israel and focus on the domestic economy.”
Per the same excerpt, the Post also reported that El‑Sayed “recently embraced the America First label in a campaign ad on the conservative Fox News and Newsmax networks.”
TGP quoted the story naming Michigan voter Mustapha El‑Jaroudi, 27: “Mike Rogers will put Israel first.” The excerpt said El‑Jaroudi “having voted for Trump twice, now calls the president ‘a con artist’ who betrayed his campaign refrain of ‘no new wars.’”
TGP’s framing and the backlash it highlighted
TGP headlined the episode as a “psyop” and questioned the notion that Trump voters would view El‑Sayed as “America First,” presenting critical reactions from X users.
Attorney and commentator Kurt Schlichter wrote, “There are literally no MAGA voters who feel that way,” responding to the Post’s claim. Another account, @Cyber_XTC, called it “some amazingly bad propaganda. You’re supposed to keep it believable.” A third user, @datwaymon, argued, “He’s Palestine First and America Last.”
What we don’t know
This write‑up relies on TGP’s citation of the Washington Post’s X post and excerpts said to be from the Post’s article. We have not accessed the full Post story or independently verified the ad described or the voter quotes.
