‘Fiesta Mexicana’: El-Sayed campaign plans festive 9/11 while remembrance is missing from public schedule

Michigan Senate hopeful El‑Sayed’s 9/11 anniversary schedule sparks questions

A Michigan Senate candidate’s public itinerary for the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks has prompted observers to wonder why a remembrance event was omitted from his campaign website. The schedule, posted on the campaign’s site, lists a Mexican cultural festival, a farmers market and the Allegan County Fair, as well as a stop on the candidate’s own “Shouldn’t Be This Hard” tour. No 9/11 memorial is shown, though the campaign’s spokesperson said El‑Sayed will attend a memorial that day.

The itinerary is set for September 11, the day the nation marks the second‑century anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. According to the campaign’s online calendar, El‑Sayed will be present at the Grand Rapids Fiesta Mexicana, a three‑day event featuring mariachi, folklórico music and dozens of vendors; a local farmers market; the Allegan County Fair, which offers live entertainment, food stalls, games and rides; and a personal stop on his touring schedule. The campaign noted that the candidate would not attend two of the four events, but did not specify which.

When Fox News Digital asked why a 9/11 remembrance event was not listed, the campaign responded that the Democrat nominee “will be attending a 9/11 remembrance memorial event that day.” The memorial, however, was not listed on the site, raising questions about the candidate’s public positioning on the anniversary.

El‑Sayed’s campaign website also highlighted the Fiesta Mexicana’s purpose: “three days of mariachi, folklórico and forty‑some vendors that uses music, food, dance and good company to make sure Mexican culture is known, understood and celebrated in West Michigan — on our own terms.” Supporters were encouraged to bring Mexican swag and to enjoy the music and food inside the festival’s venues.

In a brief exchange with Fox News Digital, the candidate’s spokeswoman emphasized El‑Sayed’s view that 9/11 was an “evil attack on America's freedom” and that he would “join Michiganders in remembering the 25th anniversary.” The spokesperson declined to explain why the campaign schedule omitted the memorial event.

El‑Sayed’s relationship with the 9/11 anniversary is complicated by past statements. Early in the campaign, he criticized Twitch streamer Hasan Piker for a video in which Piker suggested that America “deserved 9/11.” El‑Sayed called the comment “dumb,” but did not distance himself from the streamer. More recently, archival blog posts and social media entries from El‑Sayed surfaced in which he compared the 9/11 attacks to the January 6 Capitol riot, and drew parallels between President Donald Trump and Osama bin Laden. In those posts, he urged Americans to bring the same outrage to the COVID‑19 pandemic that they felt for 9/11 and mourned those lost in America’s War on Terror.

The campaign’s omission of a 9/11 memorial on the public schedule has drawn scrutiny from voters and journalists who view the anniversary as a solemn moment for reflection. In contrast, the listed events—a cultural festival, a farmers market and a county fair—carry a decidedly festive tone that may appeal to a broader audience but could be seen as diverting attention from the gravity of the attacks.

El‑Sayed remains a prominent figure in Michigan politics, having previously served as the state’s attorney general and as a U.S. senator. His campaign for the Michigan Senate seat has faced a mixture of support and criticism, especially surrounding his stance on social media and his past public remarks about the 9/11 attacks. How the candidate’s campaign chooses to navigate the 25th‑anniversary narrative may influence the perceptions of voters who are still processing the legacy of the September 11 attacks.

As the day approaches, the campaign will likely confirm the specific 9/11 memorial event that El‑Sayed intends to attend and clarify whether the event will be announced on its website or elsewhere. Until then, questions remain about the candidate’s public plan for honoring the anniversary and how it fits within his broader political messaging.