On Monday night, U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed drew sharp criticism during an interview on Fox News when he suggested that circumcision for minors is comparable to gender reassignment surgeries.
The exchange occurred on “Jesse Watters Primetime” as El-Sayed, a Democrat running for Michigan’s open Senate seat and holding a medical degree, repeatedly avoided questions about the ethics of sex-rejection procedures for children. When pressed by host Jesse Watters, who questioned whether El-Sayed supports such surgeries, the candidate stated that health care decisions should be made between parents, doctors, and patients.
Watters, visibly frustrated with El-Sayed’s evasiveness, asked: “Sex changes for minors. Do you support that?”
El-Sayed responded: “I just think the government shouldn’t tell you what kind of health care you should have.”
When Watters pressed further, asking if El-Sayed believes it is acceptable for a parent to remove a child’s genitalia, El-Sayed replied: “Do you really want to have this conversation? Are you circumcised?”
Watters confirmed his own circumcision and noted that “circumcision is different than castration.” El-Sayed then said: “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.”
The host described the candidate’s comments as “wacky” and stated: “Michigan’s not going for that. That is sick stuff.”
The controversy has drawn immediate backlash from Michigan Republicans. Senior communications adviser Greg Manz 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 labeled El-Sayed a “conman” who is “too extreme for Michigan.”
According to medical experts, gender reassignment surgeries for minors involve complex procedures requiring multiple mutilations. A recent 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 opposed sex-rejection medications for minors and 73% opposed the surgeries.
El-Sayed has pledged to expand Medicare coverage to include all necessary health care, including gender-affirming treatments. He has acknowledged that this would require higher taxes but would also fund reproductive rights. El-Sayed’s campaign has not yet responded to questions about the interview.
