Clinton Praises El-Sayed in 2007 Commencement Video Resurfaced Day Before Election
Yashar Ali shared a clip on X showing the former president complimenting the Michigan Senate nominee during a graduation speech.
By Leila Reynolds ·
A resurfaced video from a 2007 graduation ceremony has drawn attention on the internet just before the November 3 election.
The clip captures former President Bill Clinton addressing the University of Michigan class of 2007. He appears on stage immediately after the valedictorian, Abdul El-Sayed, who is now running for the U.S. Senate in Michigan.
In the footage, Clinton tells the audience he does not want to embarrass the senior speaker. He then says he wishes every person in the world who believes in a clash of civilizations could have heard El-Sayed speak that day.
The camera zooms in on El-Sayed, who had just delivered his valedictorian address. His full speech is available on his YouTube channel. He jokes about college life before using the university's marketing slogan to close his remarks.
El-Sayed defines the Michigan Difference as the graduating class itself. He argues the world needs their stories, opinions, and engagement. He tells the graduates to show mercy, compassion, and love to those less fortunate. He ends by calling for a contagious passion that gives people the audacity to believe they can change the world.
El-Sayed discussed the 2007 event on Jon Stewart's podcast, The Weekly Show. He noted that his mentors often told him he should run for office, even though he became a doctor. He recalled telling Stewart that he found their advice strange at the time.
El-Sayed described his reaction to Clinton's on-stage compliment. He said his parents, who are immigrants, were focused on hearing Clinton rather than him. They made it clear they expected the former president to be the actual speaker. El-Sayed joked that his father clapped for him for the first time during the event, though he did not see it until his siblings told him later.
El-Sayed also recounted a private conversation with Clinton after the speeches. He said the former president approached him and asked why he was going to medical school. El-Sayed replied that he is brown and Muslim, which is what they do. Clinton responded that he has a gift for communicating and might run for office someday. El-Sayed told Stewart that he said people like him, with long and difficult names, do not usually run for office. Clinton chuckled and walked away.
