On Monday night, Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed drew sharp criticism during an interview on Fox News when he suggested that male circumcision and sex-reassignment surgeries for minors fall within the same category.
El-Sayed, who has repeatedly pledged to expand Medicare to cover all Americans from cradle to grave without premiums or deductibles, was questioned by host Jesse Watters about his stance on medical procedures for children. When pressed directly whether he supports sex-rejection surgeries for minors, El-Sayed stated that health care decisions should be made by parents and doctors.
Watters challenged: “Do you support sex changes for minors?”
El-Sayed responded: “If you disagree with that, if you disagree that health care decisions need to be made by a doctor and their parents and a patient, then I just think we agree to disagree.”
When Watters asked about circumcision specifically, El-Sayed said: “Are you circumcised?”
Watters confirmed he was circumcised but noted: “Circumcision is different than castration.”
El-Sayed replied: “I’m just saying that yes, circumcision is a surgery on a kid’s ding-a-ling, so if you really want to bring that up, you can.”
Watters described the comments as “wacky” and stated: “Michigan’s not going for that. That is sick stuff.”
The remarks have triggered swift reactions from Michigan Republicans. Greg Manz, the state GOP senior communications adviser, retweeted a clip of the exchange with a statement: “Michigan taxpayers footing the bill for abortions and irreversible gender reassignment surgeries, even for children — it doesn’t get more extreme than that.”
Republican candidate Mike Rogers also criticized El-Sayed as a “conman” who is “too extreme for Michigan.”
Health experts clarify that male circumcision involves the removal of the foreskin, while sex-reassignment procedures are complex surgeries that can include multiple mutilations and long-term complications.
Recent polls indicate strong public opposition to gender-affirming care for minors. A May Gallup poll found 57% of U.S. adults believe changing one’s gender is morally wrong. A 2026 SLU/YouGov poll in Missouri showed 67% of voters oppose sex-rejection medications for minors and 73% oppose sex-rejection surgeries.
El-Sayed’s campaign has not yet commented on the interview.
