El-Sayed Tells Packed MSU Union: It’s Students Vs. Billionaires
(Source: MIRS.news, Published 09/11/2026) A day after Republican U.S. Senate nominee Mike Rogers used a national convention speech to portray Abdul El-Sayed as sympathetic to extremists, El-Sayed went before a packed Michigan State University ballroom and tried to move the race back to young voters, health care, housing and the cost of living.
The Democratic nominee's “Students vs. Billionaires” town hall filled the MSU Union ballroom and drew an overflow crowd into the hallway, with El-Sayed taking questions from students on Medicare for All, data centers, artificial intelligence and housing.
Addressing hundreds of students at the event co-hosted by More Perfect University, El-Sayed framed his campus outreach around direct engagement with youth on core economic and social challenges.
“They told me, 'Don't waste your time talking to young people . . . They don't come out and vote,'" El-Sayed said. "I said . . . whatever it is that we're doing here is going to have more impact on young people than anyone else. And I believe that if you build a politics that young people want to be a part of, that young people will be a part of that politics."
The event came a day after Rogers used a national convention speech in Dallas to attack El-Sayed on foreign policy and his progressive primary alignments.
El-Sayed pushed back against national GOP rhetoric during the event, contrasting Rogers's out-of-state fundraising appearances with his own focus on local voters.
“He's been palling around with Donald Trump for way too long,” El-Sayed said. “Daddy Trump told him to come . . . He gave a whole speech. And you know what he didn't talk about? Didn't talk about the price of gas. Didn't talk about the price of groceries. Didn't talk about how hard it is to see a doctor.”
El-Sayed also called for federal regulation of AI data centers and a state and local moratorium until protections involving jobs, utility rates and water are in place.
"We need real regulation that limits what AI can do . . . We need terms of engagement at the federal level that guarantee any jobs created are union jobs, no increases in utility rates, and you cannot touch our water. Until then, I believe we need a moratorium that puts a stop to AI data centers at the state and local levels."
El-Sayed also addressed housing scarcity and student rental costs with support for legislative tenant protections.
“No. 1, we need a renter's bill of rights . . . enforceable via clear public policy. Two, we need tenants' unions . . . particularly when it comes to these really problematic landlords. And third, this big 'techification' of the housing space needs to be addressed."
El-Sayed praised the depth of student engagement, noting at the event that he was particularly impressed by the young audience's focus on what he sees as substantive governance rather than what he sees as superficial media controversies or recent attack ads referencing online political figures like Twitch streamer Hasan Piker.
El-Sayed’s campus appearance follows criticism from conservative organizations such as Americans for Prosperity Action (AFP Action) and the Senate Leadership Fund, which is putting $51 million in paid media into the campaign, including this new ad:
Adding to this line of attack is Tim Golding, AFP Action Advisor for Michigan: “Abdul El-Sayed is pushing a dangerous agenda: a government takeover of health care, the elimination of American energy production that would send utility bills soaring, massive tax increases on working families and trillions in reckless new spending.”
Joining El-Sayed was William Lawrence, Democratic nominee in Michigan’s 7th Congressional District. Lawrence encouraged canvassing across East Lansing to secure progressive margins ahead of November. El-Sayed also introduced MSU Board of Trustees candidates Brianna Scott and Kelly Tebay, pressing students to ensure voter registration compliance before deadlines.
