OTTAWA — Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed once told Americans they should move to Canada if they wanted a better chance of achieving the “American dream,” according to audio that resurfaced Thursday.The remarks came during a May 23, 2023, episode of El-Sayed’s America Dissected podcast, as he argued poverty in the United States was structural and criticized proposed work requirements for federal assistance programs.“Contrary to what we’re taught, that we are the land of opportunity, where anyone with a dollar and a dream can make it, in fact, too few people have that first dollar,” El-Sayed said.“Economic data shows us that if you want to achieve the American dream, well, you should move to Canada because it’s twice as likely there.”“Here, where you start predicts where you end.”.El-Sayed made the comments during a monologue about a dispute over the U.S. debt ceiling and Republican proposals to expand work requirements for programs including Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.He argued that requiring recipients to complete additional paperwork would cause some low-income Americans to lose access to assistance.“Poverty is structural,” El-Sayed said. “The problem is that we don’t do enough to invest in the means of income here.”The former Wayne County health director is now the Democratic candidate for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat.The remarks resurfaced days after El-Sayed attacked President Donald Trump over his trade war with Canada.“If you’re starting a trade war with Canada, it’s because you’re the asshole,” El-Sayed said during a campaign appearance earlier this week.El-Sayed is running against Republican nominee Mike Rogers in November’s election, a contest expected to help determine control of the U.S. Senate.
