Extended Interview: Abdul El-Sayed

Ross Douthat sat down with Democratic Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed on October 22 at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. This is an extended version of the interview that was broadcast on 60 Minutes on Sunday, November 1, 2026. This version was lightly condensed for clarity.

In this conversation, Abdul El-Sayed makes claims about the utility DTE Energy and his opponent, Mike Rogers, that require context. El-Sayed says DTE “buy[s] off almost every politician in our state.” DTE and its political action committee have made extensive, publicly reported contributions to Michigan politicians, including a large majority of state legislators, but 60 Minutes found no evidence that DTE made improper payments in exchange for votes or regulatory decisions. El-Sayed says Rogers “made 14 million bucks” after leaving Congress. Financial disclosures show Rogers’ household net worth rose substantially after he left office in 2015, to an estimated $7 million to $14 million or more, but those figures reflect net worth, not earnings, and 60 Minutes was unable to verify that Rogers made $14 million.

Listen to Ross’s interview with Mike Rogers: https://link.podtrac.com/2oydcqNY

For more context on both interviews: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fact-checking-el-sayed-rogers-60-minutes/