Abdul El-Sayed Has Heated Exchange With Sky News Reporter

A Sky News reporter had a heated exchange with newly-elected Senator Abdul El-Sayed on the eve of his victory in the midterms.

In the clip, which quickly went viral, racking up over 8.8 million views on X, El-Sayed confronts Sky’s U.S. correspondent James Matthews, telling him he won’t answer his questions.

“Are you registered to vote in Michigan? Are you registered to vote?” El-Sayed asks the journalist, to which Matthews replies he is not.

“So why would I care to have a conversation with you? Just explain to me why would I care to have a conversation with you?” El-Sayed says.

When Matthews says that he is a journalist, El-Sayed responds: “You’re a journalist in the U.K. You know how many votes I want to get in the U.K.? Zero. I am never running for office in the U.K. So I absolutely do not care what you think or the questions you ask.”

Matthews then protests that U.S. elections matter “to the world” to which El-Sayed says: “Yes, and what are you in? What country are you in?” Matthews explains he’s based in the U.S. and has international viewers, prompting El-Sayed to reply: “Sky News is not viewed in the United States of America. It’s only viewed in the U.K.” When Matthews disagrees, the newly-elected Senator responds, “Like five people.”

The two men continuously talked over each other during the exchange, with El-Sayed twice putting his hands on Matthews shoulders and, at one point, clapping as he spoke to make his point.

The exchange concludes with El-Sayed saying: “I’ve answered all the questions. I’ve answered all the questions that I care to answers for viewers in the United Kingdom. So I’m asking you to please stop chasing me around, please.”

Matthews denies chasing him, responding: “Abdul, I’m not chasing you. I’m asking you questions.”

El-Sayed won the Michigan Senate race on Tuesday evening, beauting out Republican Mike Rogers.

What appears to be another video taken shortly before that exchange also surfaced online showing Matthews approach El-Sayed as he stepped out of a car and made his way into a building.

Introducing himself, Matthews quickly lobs some questions at the politician, saying: “Donald Trump seems to think you’re a gift for the Republican Party, what do you say to that?” After initially declining to answer El-Sayed responded: “I’m a gift to the state of Michigan, God willing, and I hope to win the election.”

Matthews then asked: “And he says, if you’ll pardon the language, you’re full of shit. What do you say to that?” to which El-Sayed said: “At least I don’t let mine go in the middle of the Oval Office.”

Matthews’ Sky News colleague Alex Crawford praised Matthews’ tenacity, writing on X: “Bravo to our colleague @jamesmatthewsky for always asking the pertinent question and putting into context just why what happens in Michigan – and America – doesn’t stay in Michigan. The election most certainly matters elsewhere – and non-voters have a significance of their own.”

Piers Morgan also opined on the clip, posting on the site: “Pathetic, and very patronising, by @AbdulElSayed. He should show more respect to the UK and one of our best journalists.”

Reps for Sky News declined to comment on El-Sayed’s claims that Matthews was “chasing” the politician or that Sky News has only five viewers in the U.S.