El-Sayed: "In 2008, I watched a guy named Barack Hussein Obama run for and win the presidency. His dad emigrated from Africa. My dad emigrated from a different part of Africa. He had mixed parents. I was raised by my dad and my stepmom who is a daughter of the American revolution. He's got a funny name. I've got a funny name. He's tall and skinny. I'm 5 foot 8."
#AbdulElSayed #AbdulElSayedMichigan #MichiganSenate #MichiganPolitics #USSenate #SenateRace #MichiganElection #MedicareForAll #Medicaid #SocialSecurity #Healthcare #HealthcarePolicy #HousingCrisis #CostOfLiving #Immigration #Trump #DonaldTrump #MikeRogers #MichiganVoters #DemocraticNominee #RepublicanSenate #USPolitics #AmericanPolitics #SenateElection #PoliticalNews #Election2026
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#AbdulElSayed #AbdulElSayedMichigan #MichiganSenate #MichiganPolitics #USSenate #SenateRace #MichiganElection #MedicareForAll #Medicaid #SocialSecurity #Healthcare #HealthcarePolicy #HousingCrisis #CostOfLiving #Immigration #Trump #DonaldTrump #MikeRogers #MichiganVoters #DemocraticNominee #RepublicanSenate #USPolitics #AmericanPolitics #SenateElection #PoliticalNews #Election2026
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00:00I would go over the summer, I'd spend my time with her, and you know how your grandmother can love
00:07you but also cut you down to size?
00:10I remember my grandmother pulling me aside, I was high on myself for whatever reason, and my grandmother pulls me
00:16aside, she points to one of my cousins, that one's smarter than you.
00:20Points to the next one, that one's taller and better looking. I was like, that's not a high bar.
00:27That one's nicer than you, that one's more athletic than you, and by the end of it, I'm like, well,
00:33Theta, what do I have going for me?
00:37I said, you have the best thing of all. I said, what's that? She said, you get to go back
00:40to America at the end of the summer.
00:42The rest of your cousins stay here. And she was teaching me about opportunity.
00:49Now in the 15 hours it would take me to get to Egypt, I'd cross 10 years difference in life
00:53expectancy.
00:54I didn't have to go 15 hours. I could go 15 minutes from where I grew up.
00:59South into the city of Detroit, north into the city of Pontiac, and either way I'd cross the same 10
01:03year life expectancy gap.
01:06And it shouldn't matter where you grow up.
01:09It shouldn't matter the color of your skin. It shouldn't matter what you or your parents do for work.
01:13It shouldn't matter if you're urban or rural or suburban.
01:15You deserve a long, healthy life in these United States of America.
01:32I wanted to be a part of solving that.
01:36So, I went to medical school to learn how to heal.
01:39On my way there, I got to go to the University of Michigan.
01:43I know it's no NMU.
01:45But I got to go to the University of Michigan.
01:48And I got some really bad advice on my last day there.
01:51Alright, I was the senior speaker of my class, the valedictorian.
01:55And it was a real honor except for nobody went to go listen to me that day.
01:58Everybody went to go listen to the main speaker, a certain former president named Bill Clinton.
02:04I give my speech.
02:06President Clinton gives his speech.
02:08Says some really nice things about me in his speech.
02:11My dad, an immigrant, claps for me for the first time in my whole life.
02:15And then after the speech, President Clinton comes up to me.
02:18Looks at me and says,
02:21Son, why are you going to medical school?
02:26I'm brown and Muslim, it's what we do.
02:28But also, I love people and I love science.
02:30And this is how I want to serve.
02:31He said, that's great, but you got a gift for communicating.
02:33Maybe Sunday, you'll run for public office.
02:37And I laughed in his face.
02:39I said, Mr. President, did you see my name?
02:42People like me don't get to run for office.
02:46Habib is right.
02:48I said, people like me don't get to run for office.
02:51And he kind of thought about it for a second.
02:53And he chuckled and walked away.
02:55That was 2007.
02:572008, I watched a guy named
02:59Barack Hussein Obama
03:00run for and win the presidency.
03:04Won Michigan twice.
03:09And it was the first time,
03:10first time I ever saw myself in a politician.
03:13His dad immigrated from Africa.
03:16My dad immigrated from a different part of Africa.
03:18He had mixed parents.
03:19I was raised by my dad
03:20and my stepmom, Jackie,
03:22who's a daughter of the American Revolution.
03:24He's got a funny name.
03:26I got a funny name.
03:28He's tall and skinny.
03:30I'm 5'8".
03:34It is such an honor and a privilege to be with you all.
03:37Can we give it up one more time
03:39for our incredible fighting congresswoman from New York,
03:42Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez?
03:48And your next state representative,
03:51Ana Ahurink.
03:58And our future leader,
04:01Ranjeev Puri.
04:07And my name is Abdul El-Sayed,
04:10and I am running for U.S. Senate
04:11because it shouldn't be this hard.
04:18And that's why we need money out of?
04:23Money in your?
04:25Medicare for?
04:26Let's do it again.
04:28Money out of?
04:29Money in your?
04:31Medicare for?
04:34And that's why I love to come up to Marquette.
04:43Now look, y'all.
04:44I know I got an 11-letter first name.
04:48It's got sounds that come out of parts of people's throats.
04:51They don't know they have.
04:53I'm not supposed to run for office.
04:55I know that.
04:56Got the wrong name.
04:58Apparently, I pray the wrong way.
05:00Wrong color skin.
05:02But here's the thing about it.
05:04How many of us have been told
05:07that we're not quite right?
05:09Don't fit in.
05:11Deserve whatever lot in life.
05:14Count it out.
05:16Here's the thing about it.
05:18No matter who you are.
05:19No matter who you love,
05:21how you pray,
05:22how you identify,
05:23where you're from,
05:25it just shouldn't be this hard.
05:31It shouldn't be this hard.
05:32Shouldn't be this hard
05:33to afford a second bag of groceries.
05:36shouldn't be this hard
05:37to fill up your tank.
05:40Shouldn't be this hard
05:42to afford a home.
05:46Shouldn't be this hard
05:47to see a doctor.
05:50Shouldn't be this hard
05:51to pay your taxes
05:52and know that that money
05:53is going to be spent
05:53on you and your kids
05:55rather than dropping a bomb
05:56on somebody else
05:57and their kids.
05:59Shouldn't be this hard.
06:04Shouldn't be this hard.
06:08Keep our money here.
06:11Spend on our roads
06:12and bridges here.
06:14Build our schools here.
06:17Provide health care here.
06:20Shouldn't be this hard.
06:26Shouldn't be this hard.
06:33Now look,
06:33I wanted to be a doctor.
06:35I wanted to be a doctor
06:37because I could go 15 hours
06:39to my family's native Egypt
06:41where I'd hang out
06:43with my grandmother,
06:43my teta Saad.
06:46She never got to go to school.
06:49She was the 9th of 14
06:52gave birth to eight babies.
06:54Two of them died
06:55before their first birthday.
06:57Aunt and uncle
06:58I never got to meet.
06:58My dad was her eldest.
07:01Watched his two siblings
07:02pass before he turned five.
07:04My grandmother understood
07:06something unique
07:06about my life.
07:07Something I did not understand
07:09until far later.
07:11I remember I would go
07:12over the summer.
07:14I'd spend my time with her.
07:16And you know how
07:17your grandmother can love you
07:19but also cut you down to size?
07:22I remember
07:22my grandmother
07:23pulling me aside.
07:24I was high on myself
07:25for whatever reason.
07:27And my grandmother
07:28pulls me aside.
07:29She points to one of my cousins.
07:30That one's smarter than you.
07:32Points to the next one.
07:33That one's taller
07:33and better looking.
07:35I was like,
07:35that's not a high bar.
07:39That one's nicer than you.
07:41That one's more athletic than you.
07:43And by the end of it,
07:44I'm like,
07:45Teta,
07:47what do I have going for me?
07:49I said,
07:49you have the best thing of all.
07:50I said,
07:51what's that?
07:51She said,
07:51you get to go back to America
07:52at the end of the summer.
07:54The rest of your cousins
07:55stay here.
07:58And she was teaching me
07:59about opportunity.
08:01Now in the 15 hours
08:02it would take me
08:03to get to Egypt,
08:03I'd cross 10 years difference
08:04in life expectancy.
08:06I didn't have to go 15 hours.
08:08I could go 15 minutes
08:09from where I grew up.
08:11South into the city of Detroit,
08:12North into the city of Pontiac.
08:14And either way,
08:14I'd cross the same
08:1510 year life expectancy gap.
08:18And it shouldn't matter
08:19where you grow up.
08:21It shouldn't matter
08:22the color of your skin.
08:23It shouldn't matter
08:24what you or your parents
08:25do for work.
08:25It shouldn't matter
08:25if you're urban or rural
08:26or suburban.
08:27You deserve a long,
08:29healthy life
08:30in these United States of America.
08:44I wanted to be a part
08:45of solving that.
08:48So I went to medical school
08:49to learn how to heal.
08:51On my way there,
08:53I got to go
08:54to the University of Michigan.
08:55I know it's no NMU.
08:57But I got to go
08:58to the University of Michigan.
09:00And I got some really bad advice
09:02on my last day there.
09:03All right.
09:04I was the senior speaker
09:05of my class,
09:06the valedictorian.
09:07And it was a real honor
09:08except for nobody went
09:09to go listen to me that day.
09:10Everybody went to go
09:11listen to the main speaker,
09:12a certain former president
09:12named Bill Clinton.
09:16I give my speech.
09:18President Clinton
09:19gives his speech.
09:20Says some really nice things
09:21about me in his speech.
09:23My dad, an immigrant,
09:24claps for me
09:25for the first time
09:25in my whole life.
09:27And then after the speech,
09:28he comes up to me.
09:29President Clinton
09:29comes up to me.
09:30He looks at me.
09:31He says,
09:31Son,
09:33why are you going
09:34to medical school?
09:37I'm brown and Muslim
09:38is what we do.
09:40But also,
09:41I love people
09:41and I love science
09:42and this is how
09:42I want to serve.
09:43He said,
09:43that's great,
09:43but you got a gift
09:44for communicating.
09:45Maybe someday
09:46you'll run for public office.
09:48And I laughed in his face.
09:51I said,
09:52Mr. President,
09:52did you see my name?
09:54People like me
09:54don't get to run for office.
09:58Habibi's right.
10:00I said,
10:00people like me
10:01don't get to run for office.
10:02And he kind of
10:03thought about it
10:04for a second.
10:05And he chuckled
10:06and walked away.
10:07That was 2007.
10:082008,
10:09I watched a guy named
10:10Barack Hussein Obama
10:12run for and win the presidency.
10:16Won Michigan twice.
10:21And it was the first time,
10:22first time I ever saw myself
10:24in a politician.
10:25His dad immigrated
10:26from Africa.
10:27My dad immigrated
10:28from a different part of Africa.
10:30He had mixed parents.
10:31I was raised by my dad
10:32and my stepmom, Jackie,
10:34who's a daughter
10:34of the American Revolution.
10:36He's got a funny name.
10:37I got a funny name.
10:40He's tall and skinny.
10:41I'm 5'8".
10:44But I filed that away
10:46and I went off
10:47to get my medical education.
10:50And I intended to learn
10:52how to heal
10:53only to realize
10:54that the healthcare system
10:55I was training
10:56to be a part of
10:56was too often
10:58more interested
10:58in billing than healing.
11:07So I went into public health.
11:09Got to re...
11:10Where are my public health people at?
11:15Got to rebuild
11:16Detroit's health department.
11:18Got to lead
11:19Wayne County's
11:19Department of Health,
11:20Human, and Veteran Services.
11:22And we thought
11:22outside the box
11:23about what public health
11:24could be.
11:25When we found out
11:26that 30% of our kids
11:27would get tested
11:28for having vision deficits
11:30and would come back
11:31testing positive
11:32again the next year.
11:34Meaning we knew
11:35they needed glasses
11:35but nobody got them
11:36a pair of glasses.
11:38We put optometrists
11:39in vans
11:40outside of schools
11:41in a program
11:42to guarantee them
11:43the glasses they needed.
11:44That program
11:44has done 16,000 pairs
11:46of free glasses.
11:54We took on some of the biggest
11:55corporate polluters
11:56in our state.
11:57If you were to want
11:58to go south to Ohio
11:59not that anybody
12:00wants to do that
12:01but if you did
12:02you might go down 75
12:03you might pass
12:04southwest Detroit
12:06and you would see
12:06this big skeleton city
12:08okay
12:08with all kinds of smoke.
12:10That's a petroleum refinery.
12:12The biggest polluter
12:13and the most polluted
12:13zip code in the entire state.
12:15and they wanted
12:16to raise their emissions
12:18despite the fact
12:19that the EPA
12:20had said
12:20there was already
12:21too much
12:22of the pollution
12:23they were putting out
12:23in the air.
12:25So we stood up to them.
12:27We worked with
12:27the local community
12:28forced them to invest
12:2910 million of their own dollars
12:30to reduce emissions
12:31when they had wanted
12:32to increase them.
12:37After Flint
12:38we had every school
12:39daycare and Head Start
12:40tested for lead in the water.
12:42First 68 schools
12:43we tested
12:4319 of them
12:44tested positive
12:45for lead.
12:46We got them
12:47on a pathway
12:47to being lead free.
12:49Helped to rewrite
12:50the state's lead policies
12:51after Flint.
12:59In Wayne County
13:00we put air quality monitors
13:02all over the county.
13:04100 different locations.
13:06We put Narcan
13:07in vending machines
13:08for free
13:09in 100 different places.
13:18We built a program
13:19to provide
13:19free health insurance
13:21for new small businesses
13:22and when we found out
13:23that our county
13:23ranked number 8
13:24for medical debt
13:25nationwide
13:26we set aside
13:277 million dollars
13:28to erase
13:29the 700 million dollars
13:31of medical debt
13:32for 300,000 families.
13:34That program
13:35is still ongoing
13:35but to date
13:36it's done
13:37100 million dollars
13:38of medical debt
13:39erased
13:39for 100,000 families.
13:50Now you can imagine
13:51I'm never going to forget
13:51the day
13:52sitting in my office
13:53when the administration
13:55in the White House
13:56froze federal funds.
13:57Y'all remember that?
13:59I'm sitting in my office
14:00trying to figure out
14:02how to keep
14:02one more round
14:03of WIC checks
14:04out to families.
14:06Trying to keep
14:06our federally qualified
14:07health centers open
14:08so folks can see a doctor.
14:10Trying to make sure
14:11vaccines can keep
14:12going into arms.
14:13When I get a notification
14:14on my phone
14:15that after his long
14:16two terms
14:17in the United States Senate
14:18our current
14:19U.S. Senator
14:20Gary Peters
14:21is not seeking re-election.
14:22There's going to be
14:23an open U.S. Senate seat.
14:24And I had to ask myself
14:25where is the fight
14:26for the public's health now?
14:28See, if I were to be elected
14:29I'd be the first
14:30Democratic doctor
14:31elected to the
14:32United States Senate
14:32since 1969.
14:34Nearly 60 years.
14:40First ever
14:41public health official
14:42elected to the
14:43United States Senate.
14:44And if you've ever wondered
14:45why we've got to worry
14:47about evading lettuce
14:48in the United States of America
14:49why the guy
14:51who runs
14:52health and human services
14:54in our country
14:55literally takes his grandkids
14:56swimming in Schitt's Creek
14:58I think we all
14:59could agree
14:59we probably need
15:00a public health senator
15:01right about now.
15:11Y'all know though
15:12this is not my first rodeo.
15:18Not my first rodeo.
15:20I ran for governor
15:21back in 2018.
15:22All right
15:22I was 32 years old
15:24never run for office
15:25in my life.
15:29Not nearly enough of you did.
15:35But
15:37you know
15:37I knew it was a tough
15:40match.
15:40I knew it was going to be
15:41a hard thing to do.
15:42I had bad advice
15:43from a former president
15:44telling me I should run for office.
15:46And I told myself
15:47you know what
15:47I'm going to go
15:48I'll go big
15:48or go home.
15:49I went big
15:50and then I went home.
15:53But we said something
15:55in that race
15:55folks weren't quite ready to hear.
15:57Which is that
15:58Donald Trump
15:58is not himself
15:59the disease of our politics.
16:00Donald Trump
16:01is just the worst symptom
16:02of the disease of our politics.
16:03The disease is the system
16:05that allows billionaires
16:06and corporations
16:07and special interests
16:08to buy and sell politicians
16:09in ways that leave them
16:11rigging the system against us.
16:15is why we pay more
16:17for all we got to buy
16:18get paid less
16:19for the work we do
16:20watch as our tax dollars
16:22get spent
16:23to do war
16:24and apartheid
16:26and genocide
16:27instead of get spent
16:28to do good things
16:29for our own kids.
16:36So look
16:38way back
16:39in April of 2025
16:40we kicked off a campaign
16:42and we wanted to do
16:44three things
16:44and y'all already know
16:45what they are.
16:45We want money out of
16:47money in Europe
16:49Medicare for
16:51and that campaign
16:52it took us
16:53all over the state.
16:55This is my fourth time
16:56in Marquette y'all.
16:57Fourth time.
17:02And
17:08God willing
17:09we were in rooms of five
17:11which turned into 25
17:12which turned into 50
17:13and then 500.
17:16Saying the same thing.
17:18You could see me
17:19in a room
17:20you could see me
17:22on TikTok
17:22or Instagram
17:23you could see me
17:24getting a non-consensual
17:25colonoscopy on CNN
17:28and I was saying
17:29the same thing.
17:30I was saying
17:31the same things
17:32that you all
17:33were sharing.
17:34Because in those rooms
17:35you could be in a church
17:36in Detroit
17:37you could be
17:37in a VFW hall
17:39you could be
17:40in a steel workers
17:42hall in Escanaba
17:44you could be
17:45in a backyard
17:46in Grand Rapids
17:47or a living room
17:48in Lansing.
17:49Everybody was saying
17:50the same things.
17:51It shouldn't be this hard.
17:53I shouldn't have to work
17:54so hard
17:55to afford
17:55my groceries.
17:57I shouldn't have to worry
17:58so much
17:58about getting sick
17:59and seeing a doctor.
18:01I shouldn't have to worry
18:04that my kid's teacher
18:05is not making
18:06a living wage
18:08or that my kid
18:08is going to a school
18:10in a place
18:11that looks like
18:11it did 50 years ago.
18:19And we knew
18:20they were going to
18:20spend money to beat us.
18:21I don't take corporate money
18:23so the corporation
18:23saw me as a threat.
18:26And we thought
18:27when we kicked it off
18:28we said you know
18:28they're going to spend
18:2920 million dollars
18:30to beat us.
18:3120 turned into 40
18:32turned into 70 million dollars
18:34in the primary alone.
18:36We got outspent
18:3711 to 1.
18:38They set a record
18:39for the most amount
18:41of money spent
18:41against a single candidate
18:42in a primary election.
18:45And you know what?
18:46They might as well
18:47have set their money
18:48on fire
18:48because we beat them anyway.
18:59beat them anyway.
19:00beat them anyway.
19:02Because if you got to choose
19:04between their money
19:06or the power of a movement
19:08pick a movement.
19:10If you got to choose
19:11between their money
19:12and our many
19:13pick our many.
19:17and y'all showed up
19:19in communities
19:20big and small
19:23and now we find
19:24ourselves
19:24with 19 days left.
19:28Mistakes
19:28couldn't be
19:29any higher.
19:31I love you back.
19:32I love you back.
19:34I love you back.
19:37This one's not just
19:39for our United States
19:40Senate seat.
19:41That would be enough.
19:42But this one's for control
19:43of the entire
19:44United States Senate.
19:46About whether or not
19:47we're willing to stand up
19:48to Donald Trump.
19:49Put a check
19:50on his power
19:52and the corruption
19:53of his White House
19:55and the ridiculous
19:57band of idiots
19:58he chose
19:59to run our government.
20:10But it's about
20:11something deeper too.
20:14As if the stakes
20:15couldn't get higher.
20:18It is our birthright
20:19in this glorious
20:21country of ours
20:22to have a government
20:23of the people
20:23by the people
20:24and for the people.
20:28And it is about
20:29whether or not
20:30a politics
20:30of, by,
20:31and for the people
20:32can persist
20:33in the year
20:34of our Lord
20:352026.
20:37Because that's the thing.
20:38They want you
20:40to believe
20:42that your democracy
20:43is out of your control.
20:44That if they bring
20:45enough corporate money
20:46or enough billionaire money
20:48or enough special interest money
20:49that you can't beat them.
20:52By the time
20:53this race is done
20:54they'll have spent
20:54more money
20:55to beat me
20:56than has ever been spent
20:57against a single candidate
20:59in Michigan history.
21:04And in the next 19 days
21:06we get to decide
21:08whether or not
21:09we are willing
21:11to show up
21:12for our democracy.
21:18Now the candidate
21:19I'm running against
21:23the candidate
21:23I'm running against
21:24his name
21:25doesn't bear repeating.
21:28He's what
21:29the youths
21:30these days
21:30call a non-playing character.
21:35And for the folks
21:36who don't know
21:37the reference
21:37if you ever play
21:38video games
21:39there are some characters
21:39you can play
21:41and some
21:42you can't.
21:43And the ones
21:43you can't
21:44they're just programmed
21:45to do what
21:45they're going to do
21:46anyway.
21:46It doesn't matter
21:46what the context is
21:47they just got
21:48one program.
21:49And in the case
21:50of Mike Rogers
21:51he's a non-playing character.
21:52He's got one program.
21:54Take corporate money
21:55do corporate bidding.
21:57That's his program.
22:00But for their part
22:01Donald Trump
22:02and J.D. Vance
22:03can't seem to keep
22:04my name out their mouth.
22:06In fact
22:07J.D. Vance
22:08was just in Michigan.
22:10He had a little
22:13he had a cute little
22:14rally in Monroe.
22:16He invited the like
22:17I don't know
22:17five people who like him.
22:19But imagine being
22:20a candidate for Michigan
22:22and having to invite
22:23somebody from Ohio
22:24to campaign for you.
22:33I was like
22:34Ohio?
22:35Bottom of the barrel bro.
22:39You know
22:39their administration
22:40is doing a
22:41tariff war
22:42with Canada.
22:44I was thinking about this
22:45I was like
22:45listen if you want to
22:46have a tariff war
22:47with Ohio
22:47I'm cool with it.
22:49But Canada?
22:55Now
22:57at his little rally
23:01he wanted to raise
23:02questions about
23:03my commitment
23:03to America.
23:06And let me tell you
23:07nobody understands
23:09how deep
23:10and profound
23:11the gift
23:12of this country
23:13is
23:13like a kid
23:15who was born here
23:16but for the accident
23:17of history
23:17that allowed
23:18that to happen.
23:20I got a front row seat
23:21to what my life
23:23might have been
23:23had I not been born
23:25in America.
23:26So don't lecture me
23:27about America.
23:29I know
23:30America
23:31and I know
23:34that in America
23:38in America
23:39we're big enough
23:40to guarantee
23:40health care
23:41to our people
23:42rather than
23:42taking it away.
23:45In America
23:46we're big enough
23:47enough to invest
23:47in unions
23:48rather than
23:49busting them.
23:56In America
23:57we don't tell people
23:58what to believe
23:59we value their beliefs.
24:04In America
24:05we don't question
24:06the outcomes
24:07of democratic elections.
24:13in America
24:14we believe
24:15in the right
24:15to choose.
24:27In America
24:28we don't discriminate
24:29against people
24:30for who they love
24:31how they identify
24:32how they pray
24:33the color of their skin.
24:36We believe
24:37even in America
24:37big enough
24:38for all of us.
24:42So don't you dare
24:43come from Ohio
24:44to lecture me
24:44about America.
24:46You don't know
24:47a damn thing
24:48about America.
24:52Never have,
24:52never will.
25:05You know,
25:07they've been saying
25:09all kinds of things
25:10trying to point
25:11to my name
25:11and my faith
25:13telling me
25:13you can't win
25:14an election.
25:14His name's Abdul.
25:15He's a Muslim.
25:17Yeah,
25:18I'm a Muslim.
25:20But I also
25:21understand
25:22that my allegiance
25:24is to a constitution
25:26and that constitution
25:30guarantees us all
25:32the right to pray
25:33how we choose
25:34to pray
25:34or not pray
25:35at all.
25:40It's a document
25:42they don't understand
25:43very well.
25:46Because
25:48here's the thing
25:48about it.
25:50They want you
25:51to fear
25:52my name.
25:53They want you
25:53to fear my faith.
25:56But I know
25:56that there is
25:57a lot of fear
25:58right now.
26:00And that is
26:00the fear
26:02that people
26:02hold deep
26:03in their hearts
26:04when they think
26:05about just
26:06how hard it is
26:06to survive
26:07to next month.
26:09There's a fear
26:11when you have
26:12to pull up
26:12to that gas station
26:13of asking
26:14is the gas
26:15that I need
26:16to get me
26:17to the grocery store
26:19going to cost me
26:20half of what I could
26:21buy at the grocery
26:22store itself.
26:24There's the fear
26:25of looking your kids
26:26in the eye
26:27and wondering
26:27whether or not
26:28you're going to have
26:28to skimp
26:29on their meals
26:30tomorrow.
26:31There's the fear
26:32of the school
26:33you send your kids
26:34to that looked
26:35like it did
26:3550 years ago.
26:37There's the fear
26:38of wondering
26:39what happens
26:39when you get sick
26:41and you realize
26:41that you have
26:42to go and see
26:42a doctor
26:43and that the worst
26:44day isn't the day
26:45you got sick
26:45it's the day
26:46you got the bill
26:46because you went
26:47to go see a doctor.
26:49And that fear
26:54that fear
26:55that anxiety
26:56that gnaws
26:58at people
26:59that is a fear
27:00and an anxiety
27:01inflicted
27:02on all of us
27:05by the people
27:05in power
27:06right now.
27:10My name
27:11and my faith
27:12are not nearly
27:13as scary
27:14as the fact
27:16that we are
27:16fighting a war
27:17we don't need
27:17to fight
27:18that's raising
27:18our gas prices
27:19and our grocery prices.
27:22My name
27:22and my faith
27:23aren't nearly
27:24as scary
27:25as the idea
27:26of not knowing
27:27how you're gonna pay
27:28for your medical care.
27:33My name
27:34and my faith
27:35aren't nearly
27:36as scary
27:38as looking
27:38your kids
27:39in the eye
27:39and wondering
27:40whether or not
27:41there's gonna be
27:41a job for them
27:42in the future.
27:45My name
27:46and my faith
27:47are not nearly
27:47as scary
27:48as the idea
27:50of the broken
27:51promises
27:52that they made
27:53that they continue
27:53to break
27:54every single day.
27:59And I want
27:59to finish here
28:01because I'm
28:0219 days
28:03away
28:06God willing
28:08from the end
28:09of a campaign
28:10that's had us
28:11travel this
28:12glorious
28:12beautiful state
28:14and
28:16you know
28:16when I kicked
28:17off this race
28:17people said
28:18well
28:18how you gonna win?
28:20You know
28:20your name
28:21is
28:21kinda rough
28:24I was like
28:25is it?
28:26It means
28:27servant leader
28:29I think
28:29it's a pretty
28:29good name
28:30for politics
28:41and I said
28:42you know
28:42I don't
28:43maybe you're right
28:44but I'm not
28:45taking a bet
28:45on my name
28:47I'm taking
28:47a bet
28:48on my state
28:54because I've
28:55been a guy
28:56named Abdul
28:57my whole life
29:00I know some
29:00things about
29:01being a guy
29:01named Abdul
29:03and when you
29:04got a name
29:04like mine
29:05you see the
29:06best of us
29:06and too often
29:07sometimes you
29:08see the worst
29:08of us
29:09and there
29:10are always
29:10a few
29:10very loud
29:11people
29:11who are
29:12small
29:13and want
29:14to make
29:14us small
29:15like them
29:17they're
29:17carnival
29:18barkers
29:18you hear
29:19them
29:19too many
29:20of them
29:20are Ohio
29:26go blue
29:32you know
29:33it's funny
29:33he called
29:33me
29:34JD Vance
29:35called me
29:35a little
29:35weasel
29:36today
29:36I'm like
29:36no no no
29:38what you're
29:38talking about
29:39is a fucking
29:39wolverine
29:56you can take
29:56your Buckeye
29:57and go
29:57shove it
29:58somewhere else
30:01Ohio
30:15here we might
30:16be wildcats
30:17we might
30:18be spartans
30:19we might
30:19be wolverines
30:20but we
30:21will never
30:22be Buckeyes
30:36but here's
30:37the thing
30:38about it
30:38we know
30:39who we
30:39are in
30:39Michigan
30:40we know
30:41and
30:42I've just
30:43had this
30:43incredible
30:44gift
30:44of being
30:45able to
30:46spend
30:46time
30:46with folks
30:47in their
30:47communities
30:48and folks
30:49have invited
30:50me into
30:51their living
30:51rooms
30:52and their
30:52churches
30:52and their
30:53synagogues
30:54and their
30:54temples
30:54invited me
30:55into their
30:56basements
30:56and their
30:57backyards
30:57to their
30:58cookouts
30:59to their
31:00union halls
31:01their VFW
31:02halls
31:03and the
31:04thing about
31:04Michiganders
31:05is we're
31:05like this
31:06rare mix
31:08open
31:10minded
31:10we are
31:11people don't
31:13see my
31:13name
31:14and get
31:14scared
31:15as much
31:15as they're
31:15trying to
31:16scare you
31:16they see
31:17it as an
31:17invitation
31:18for a
31:18conversation
31:19I might
31:20never have
31:20met somebody
31:21like you
31:21but I
31:22want to
31:22know what
31:22you're
31:22about
31:23and who
31:23you are
31:24and that
31:25comes out
31:26of a
31:26kind of
31:27earnestness
31:27that we
31:28have
31:28Michiganders
31:29are earnest
31:30we give
31:30the best
31:31and we
31:31expect the
31:32best
31:32we believe
31:33in people
31:34we believe
31:34in each
31:34other
31:35and we
31:35believe
31:35in people's
31:36good faith
31:41and
31:44and we
31:45couple
31:46that
31:46earnestness
31:47with a
31:47kind
31:48of
31:48grit
31:48we're
31:49willing
31:50to
31:50work
31:50hard
31:50we're
31:51willing
31:51to
31:52endure
31:52you
31:53cannot
31:53live
31:53here
31:54in the
31:54winter
31:54and not
31:54endure
31:58and that
31:59earnestness
31:59and that
32:00grit
32:00that open
32:01mind
32:03all of it
32:04underlied by
32:05a kind of
32:05big heartedness
32:06Michiganders
32:07are good
32:08people
32:09and those
32:10small minded
32:10people
32:11the
32:11J.D.
32:11Vance's
32:12of the
32:12world
32:13the
32:14J.D.
32:14Vance's
32:14of the
32:14world
32:16the
32:17Donald
32:17Trump's
32:17of the
32:18world
32:20the
32:21Mike
32:21Rogers
32:21of the
32:22world
32:25they
32:25want to
32:26make us
32:26smaller
32:27than we
32:27really
32:27are
32:29and the
32:29bet I've
32:30taken
32:30is on
32:32how big
32:33we
32:33are
32:34because here's
32:35the thing
32:35about it
32:38whatever it
32:38is that
32:39they want
32:39to tell us
32:40we should
32:41fear
32:41we know
32:42what we
32:43fear
32:43and we
32:43know
32:43what we
32:44hope for
32:45and
32:47they want
32:47to make
32:48us think
32:48that the
32:48best we
32:49can do
32:49is divide
32:50from one
32:50another
32:50to fear
32:51one another
32:52but we
32:52know
32:53here in
32:53Michigan
32:53we can
32:54have nice
32:54things
32:55there's
32:55a lesson
32:56that we've
32:56learned
32:57from our
32:57incredible
32:58union
32:58movement
32:59it's
32:59that
33:00we
33:00reach
33:01to build
33:01solidarity
33:03not
33:03despite
33:04our
33:04differences
33:05but
33:05because
33:06our
33:06differences
33:08we
33:09understand
33:12that we
33:12can have
33:13nice
33:13things
33:13if we're
33:14willing
33:14to build
33:14them
33:14together
33:16and
33:17we're
33:17willing
33:17to reach
33:18across
33:18our
33:18divides
33:19to build
33:20those
33:20things
33:20we can
33:21have
33:21good
33:22schools
33:22we can
33:22have
33:23guaranteed
33:24health
33:24care
33:24we can
33:25have
33:26our
33:26rights
33:27we're
33:28just
33:28never
33:28going
33:28to do
33:28it
33:28alone
33:29and
33:29we
33:29need
33:30each
33:30other
33:31it's
33:31that
33:32same
33:32soul
33:33that
33:33says
33:33you know
33:34what
33:34I'll
33:34cut
33:35your
33:35grass
33:35in the
33:36summer
33:36if you're
33:37willing to
33:37shovel my
33:38drive in
33:38the winter
33:42I got a
33:42cup of
33:43sugar
33:43for you
33:44if I can
33:45have a
33:45seat at
33:45your table
33:46for dinner
33:48it's
33:48that
33:50that will
33:51that open
33:52heart
33:53that's
33:53what I
33:54took a
33:54bet on
33:54and the
33:55thing that
33:55bothers me
33:56when they
33:56say oh
33:56you can't
33:57win
33:57it's
33:57not
33:57about
33:57me
33:58I
33:58don't
33:58care
34:03it's
34:04the
34:04Michigan
34:04I
34:04have
34:05come
34:05to
34:05know
34:05the
34:05Michigan
34:06I
34:06have
34:06always
34:07loved
34:08is the
34:08Michigan
34:09where we
34:09are bigger
34:10than the
34:10small
34:10differences
34:11they tell
34:11us we
34:12should pay
34:12attention
34:12to
34:20so Marquette
34:23here's the
34:23thing about
34:24it
34:24they think
34:24that when
34:25they come
34:25for all
34:26the things
34:26we hold
34:27dear
34:27that we're
34:27going to
34:27back
34:27down
34:29and we
34:29won't
34:30back
34:31down
34:32when they
34:33come for
34:33our
34:33health
34:33care
34:34in
34:34these
34:34rural
34:34communities
34:35we
34:36won't
34:37back
34:38down
34:39when they
34:40come for
34:40our
34:41union
34:41rights
34:41we
34:43won't
34:44back
34:44down
34:45when they
34:46come for
34:46the right
34:47to choose
34:47we
34:49won't
34:49back
34:50down
34:51when they
34:52come for
34:52our
34:52great
34:52lakes
34:53we
34:54won't
34:55back
34:56down
34:56when they
34:57come for
34:58any of
34:58us
34:58we
34:59won't
35:00back down. When they come for our democratic rights, we won't back down. And we won't back
35:08down for the next 19 days or the next six years after that, because it is our democracy and we
35:15aim to use it. Marquette, thank you so much.
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