Not every politician in America can brag that they’ve studied at Oxford and frequented Nando’s before taking office, but one of the newest elected senators has a unique connection to the UK.
Abdul El-Sayed, 42, has risen to the top of politics after winning his seat in Michigan, but he has ties to the UK.
He was awarded the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship, allowing him to study and live in Oxford in 2009.
During his time at Oxford, El-Sayed recalled meeting some of the world’s ‘most brilliant people’ and was known for organising regular dinners at Nando’s for fellow Rhodes scholars.
His connection to the UK made for a bizarre moment when he told a Sky News reporter that they had ‘no viewers’ shortly before the election, instead opting to answer American reporters’ questions.
Shortly after the awkward interview, he went on to win his election, becoming the first Muslim senator in United States history.
El-Sayed, an epidemiologist and former Detroit health commissioner, ran as a progressive, campaigned hard on Medicare for All, and was endorsed by Bernie Sanders before winning a seat in the Senate during the highly contested midterm elections.
The son of Egyptian immigrants, he was born and raised in the United States and faced intense racism during his campaign.
At one point, President Donald Trump referred to him as ‘Abdullah bah bah bah bah Mohamed,’ to which El-Sayed replied: ‘If you can’t say the name, keep the name out of your damn mouth.’
Former President Barack Obama also campaigned for El-Sayed.
‘There is no world in which I get to run for office without President Obama. He got a funny name, I got a funny name,’ he said.
During one rally, a reporter asked him: ‘You previously criticised President Obama. Why are you campaigning with him?’
El-Sayed replied: ‘Do you love your dad? Do you agree with everything your dad has ever done? It’s a normal thing to love somebody, to really appreciate all that they’ve done, and to say, ‘Hey, here are some things I would have done differently.”
‘But they still did some important things to create opportunity for you.’
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