Michigan Politician on Islamophobia, Rising Costs and Medicare for All

Were you surprised at the level of vitriol and the level of racism and bigotry and Islamophobia directed your way?

If they had something to say about the price of gas or the price of groceries or the fact that people can't see a doctor, they would've said it. Mm-hmm. They didn't have anything.

But they didn't have anything to say. No.

And I kinda knew that they were gonna reach for the red meat, and here's the problem with the red meat.

It becomes an addiction. Mm. Once you go there and you put that out there and you say something, then you're forced to defend it. Yeah. So what do they do?

They double down, and they double down, they triple down again. Yeah.

And so I wish I could tell you, "Oh my God, I'm, I'm so surprised," but like I said, I've been me my whole life. Mm-hmm.

And more often than not, people don't wanna actually debate the issues. Yeah.

Instead, they want to debase the politics. Mm-hmm.

And that's exactly what we saw. Um- Mm. And it, for me, the, the opportunity was to say, "Look, you can talk about my name and my faith all day if you want to- Yeah ... but they're not the reason you can't afford your gas or you can't afford- That's right ... your groceries, not the reason you can't see a doctor.

I mean, if you're seeing a doctor, they might actually have my name and my faith.

You're, you're gonna work with Senator s- uh, Bernie Moreno and Ted Cruz. Um, how will you approach that?

Look, I'm a professional. I, I'll work with anybody if it means that we could get something done for the people of the state of Michigan. Good.

And that's the responsibility. Like, I, I'm not there to, to go play politics.

And I think people are sick and tired of this retribution politics.

They did this, so we do this. Yeah. It is not about politicians.

It is about the public we serve. Mm-hmm. Right.

I got elected on a very clear set of messages.

I want money out of politics, money in your pocket, Medicare for all. Mm-hmm.

And if you're willing to get that done, let's sit down and figure out how to get that done.

I- if you wanna play political games, I think people are realizing I don't back down, I don't shut up.