Abdul El-Sayed touts ‘whole a--’ medical credentials while defending sex changes for children

Michigan Senate Candidate Abdul El‑Sayed Defends Medical Autonomy in Sex‑Change Debate

MONTGOMERY, Mich. — At a Friday rally on the campus of Michigan State University, Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate Abdul El‑Sayed reaffirmed his commitment to what he described as “patient‑doctor autonomy” over state‑mandated rules for transgender healthcare. The former head of Detroit’s Health Department, who has built a significant part of his campaign on his medical background, said the government should not dictate when or how sex‑change treatments are accessed, even for minors.

El‑Sayed’s remarks came amid a wave of federal and state actions restricting transgender procedures for youth. Earlier this week, the Department of Justice announced that Mount Sinai and other hospitals—such as Texas Children’s Hospital and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation—had agreed with the Trump administration to suspend sex‑change surgeries and hormone therapy for children. In the same month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s guidance for treating gender dysphoria has been challenged by a lawsuit from the Federal Trade Commission, which accuses the World Professional Association for Transgender Health of misleading parents about the safety and necessity of certain procedures.

“It’s a matter of the patient and the doctor deciding together—plus, if the patient is a minor, the parents as well,” El‑Sayed told the crowd. “The government should not be telling you what you can or cannot do.” He emphasized that this principle applies to any medical decision, not just transgender care, and cited the “Right to Try” legislation that allows terminally ill patients to access experimental treatments not yet approved by the FDA as an example of a conservative policy that aligns with his stance.

El‑Sayed, who has promoted Medicare for All as a major selling point of his campaign, added that while the government will cover the costs of care, it must stay out of the clinical room where treatment plans are decided. “The decision about what health care is necessary should be held between the patient and their doctor—if the patient is under 18, then the parents too,” he said. “That is the standard on which we should base all medical decisions.”

The candidate’s claim to be the first Democratic senator in the state’s history to hold a medical degree has drawn scrutiny, as state and federal licensing records show that El‑Sayed has never been licensed to practice medicine in Michigan or New York. An earlier Fox News Digital story revealed gaps in his medical credentials. Despite the lack of an active license, El‑Sayed has frequently highlighted his medical background during campaign events, arguing that it gives him a unique perspective on health policy.

During the rally, a student asked whether the state should protect the right to sex‑change procedures. El‑Sayed answered by asserting that the responsibility for such decisions belongs to the patient and the doctor, not the government. He added that the government’s role should be limited to funding and not to setting clinical guidelines. “We should keep to that standard and make sure the government doesn’t have the power to tell you what you can or cannot do with your own life,” he said.

The issue of transgender healthcare for minors has prompted international and domestic policy responses. In March, the United Kingdom’s National Health Service paused the provision of cross‑sex hormones to 16‑ and 17‑year‑olds after reviewing weak evidence supporting the practice. The NHS already prohibits hormone treatment for children under 16. These measures echo a broader concern about the lack of long‑term data on the efficacy and safety of gender‑affirming treatments for youth. The FTC’s lawsuit against WPATH centers on allegations that the organization failed to disclose side effects such as incontinence, erectile pain, mood disturbances, and pelvic or vaginal discomfort associated with hormone therapy.

El‑Sayed’s comments come as the Trump administration’s policies have intensified restrictions on transgender youth. The Justice Department’s recent agreements with hospitals to halt sex‑change procedures for children and the administration’s labeling of these treatments as “experimental” are part of a broader effort to limit access. Critics argue that such policies could deny medically appropriate care to a vulnerable population, while proponents claim they protect minors from irreversible decisions.

In the midst of this policy debate, El‑Sayed has positioned himself as a pro‑healthcare advocate who respects both patient autonomy and the need for evidence‑based practice. He has pointed out that his campaign’s platform of Medicare for All is meant to expand access to care, not to override the clinical judgment of physicians.

The candidate’s office has not yet responded to a request for comment regarding his medical licensing status. As the election approaches, El‑Sayed’s positions on transgender healthcare and government involvement in medical decision‑making are likely to remain a focal point of both campaign scrutiny and voter debate.