Physician-turned-politician Abdul El-Sayed joins Chuck Todd to discuss why he left medicine for the rough-and-tumble of politics. From the challenges of running for office with a foreign name to centering his campaign on improving life for children, El-Sayed argues that healthcare isn’t just about access—it’s about fairness. He pulls back the curtain on a system where insurers and hospital CEOs collude to inflate prices, pharmaceutical companies raise costs simply because they can, and Americans are tricked into thinking “choice” in healthcare actually benefits them.
The conversation doesn’t stop at healthcare—it spans the crisis of trust in public health, the lessons El-Sayed learned from his 2018 gubernatorial run, and the corrosive role of money in politics. He weighs in on Gretchen Whitmer’s record, Trump’s overreach beyond Article II, and what sets him apart in Michigan’s Senate race. And in a moment of global reflection, El-Sayed takes on the politics of genocide—from Israel and Gaza to China’s treatment of the Uighurs—arguing that calling atrocities by their name is a test of values, even when nuance is hard to find in today’s polarized climate.
Timeline:
00:00 Abdul El-Sayed joins the Chuck ToddCast
01:45 What made you choose politics when your background is medicine?
03:30 The challenge of running for office with a foreign name
04:30 Centering politics around improving the world for children
05:30 Disparities in access to health care based on money and connections
07:00 Health insurance is getting worse despite rising cost
08:15 Insurers and hospital CEOs collude to raise prices
10:15 What should be the cost expectation for pharmaceuticals?
11:45 Pharma companies raise prices because they can
12:45 RFK Jr. shouldn’t be anywhere near healthcare
13:45 The impact of the internet on public health
15:45 The crisis Kennedy is creating at HHS and CDC
16:30 How can we restore trust in public health authorities?
18:45 MAHA’s appeal is the idea you can control your health future
20:00 Parallels between public health and education
21:45 Health relies on both the individual and public health
22:45 Healthcare industry has tricked the public using concept of “choice”
24:30 Would you keep a semi-privatized system under medicare for all?
27:00 Health networks curtail choice and raise prices
28:30 What did you learn from your 2018 run for governor?
31:00 The disease of our political system is money buying politicians and policy
32:15 Trump spoke to economic pain and was able to reach voters
33:45 Assessment of Gretchen Whitmer’s governorship
35:45 Whitmer tried to work with Trump at times, will you?
37:45 Trump is exercising far more power than Article 2 permits
39:30 Differences between you and your opponents for MI senate?
40:15 Taking corporate money is a major philosophical difference
42:45 Reforming public health will require healthcare pros in D.C.
44:30 The trend of public health officials running for office
46:45 How much will Israel/Gaza factor into the election?
48:00 Calling something a genocide when you see it is a values test
49:15 Was Israel justified in going after Hamas? How much was justifiable?
50:15 The extremes on both sides of the war strengthen each other
51:15 We aim, arm and abet Israeli leaders who don’t want two states
52:15 Tax dollars should benefit taxpayers, not foreign militaries
53:15 It’s difficult to find nuance in our current politics
55:30 Money in politics make it difficult to have an honest conversation
56:15 Having a nuanced conversation around the world genocide
58:30 The holocaust can’t set the bar for use of the term “genocide”
1:00:00 Is China committing genocide of the Uighurs?
1:01:15 Using the word genocide can just “switch off” voters
1:03:30 People assume having an Arab name means tribal loyalty to Arabs