CNN Chief Political Analyst David Axelrod delivered sharp criticism of Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed during a Friday broadcast of “AC360,” taking issue with a campaign advertisement that linked Israel to rising consumer costs.
Axelrod, a veteran Democratic strategist and former senior advisor to President Obama, didn’t mince words when evaluating the controversial ad. “It is an offensive ad, because it misleads people into thinking that the reason that their costs are way up now is because of what happened in Gaza,” he said during the segment.
The CNN analyst acknowledged that El-Sayed’s frustration with ongoing primary criticism from Rep. Haley Stevens was understandable, noting that it appeared Stevens was “still litigating the primary.” However, Axelrod drew a firm line at the content of El-Sayed’s advertisement itself.
The Core Disagreement Over Costs and Conflict
According to Axelrod, the ad’s fundamental flaw lies in its attribution of current economic pressures. “However you feel about what happened in Gaza, the costs are up now because we’re at war in Iran. It’s a different issue,” he explained, distinguishing between the ongoing conflict in Gaza and what he described as war with Iran.
The analyst pointed out that El-Sayed and his opponent have taken opposing positions on these matters, but criticized the ad for conflating separate issues. He also took exception to what he characterized as coded language in the advertisement’s conclusion, saying “the they/them ending was really heavy with inference.”
Axelrod’s bottom-line assessment was unequivocal: “I think he should have rejected the ad.”
Strategic Advice for Moving Forward
Despite his criticism of the advertisement, Axelrod offered El-Sayed strategic counsel for the remainder of the campaign. “At this point, he needs to focus on the arguments that he’s running on, which go to the things that he talked about at the end of that statement,” he said, suggesting the candidate should pivot away from engaging with Stevens’ attacks.
The CNN analyst was clear in his view that responding to Stevens was itself a misstep. “But he didn’t need to respond to her,” Axelrod added.
Calling for Consistency Across the Board
Later in the segment, Axelrod expanded his criticism beyond El-Sayed’s campaign, questioning Stevens’ motives and calling for consistency in condemning inflammatory political messaging. He stated plainly that Stevens isn’t trying to be “constructive” with her continued attacks.
Axelrod then pivoted to what he viewed as a double standard, saying he “disliked the ad for the reasons that I suggested, but then also be consistent and denounce what the president did in Michigan.” He referenced previous comments that he characterized as “essentially suggesting that El-Sayed was a jihadist and a terrorist and was a threat to our national security and so on.”
The analyst’s call for consistency appeared aimed at those who would criticize El-Sayed’s advertisement while remaining silent on what he viewed as equally or more problematic characterizations from other political figures.
Michigan Senate Race Dynamics
The exchange highlights the complex dynamics at play in Michigan’s Senate race, where primary tensions appear to have spilled over into the general election period. El-Sayed, who secured the Democratic nomination, is now navigating criticism from multiple directions as he heads toward the general election.
The controversy over the advertisement comes at a critical juncture in the campaign, with El-Sayed needing to consolidate support and present a unified Democratic front. Axelrod’s criticism, coming from a prominent Democratic strategist, adds an intraparty dimension to the challenges facing the campaign.
The debate over how to discuss Middle Eastern conflicts and their domestic economic implications has become increasingly fraught in Democratic politics, particularly in states like Michigan with significant Arab American populations. El-Sayed’s campaign appears to have stumbled into this minefield with an advertisement that even sympathetic voices like Axelrod found problematic.
As the general election approaches, the question remains whether El-Sayed will heed Axelrod’s advice to refocus on his core campaign message and avoid getting drawn into continued disputes over the primary or inflammatory characterizations of his positions on foreign policy.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/10/31/axelrod-el-sayed-should-have-rejected-offensive-inaccurate-ad/