Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for Michigan’s U.S. Senate seat, revealed plans to leverage powers of a potential Democratic Senate majority to hold the Trump administration accountable. Speaking with CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday, August 9, 2026, El-Sayed emphasized using subpoena power to investigate how the Trump administration allegedly used its authority for personal gain.

El-Sayed, a 41-year-old epidemiologist endorsed by Bernie Sanders, defeated Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens in the recent primary. He said the first priority after being sworn in would be to "start holding the Trump administration accountable," including "hauling up people like RFK Jr." to answer for actions affecting public health and tariff policies.

He described widespread voter frustration over issues like affordability, stating, "It shouldn’t be this hard to afford your groceries or fill up your tank or worry about getting sick without having to worry about losing everything too."

Looking beyond 2026, El-Sayed expressed a vision to "build the runway for a president in 2028" who would focus on holding big corporations accountable, enforcing antitrust laws, reforming the tax system to ease burdens on everyday people while taxing billionaires, and supporting unions to secure fair wages.

El-Sayed’s campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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