Opinion

DR MARC SIEGEL: A Senate candidate's medical title sparks a debate voters shouldn't ignore

The current focus on whether Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, a candidate in the Democratic Senate primary in Michigan, is actually a physician, as he claims, is much more than political theater

By Dr. Marc Siegel Fox News

Published July 10, 2026 6:00am EDT

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Left-wing host grills El-Sayed over 'physician' claim, questions honesty of Dem Senate candidate

Zeteo host Mehdi Hasan pressed Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed about calling himself a

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There is a long-storied history of physicians as U.S. senators. Sen. John Barrasso is an orthopedic surgeon who previously served as chief of surgery at Wyoming Medical Center. Sen. Bill Cassidy is a gastroenterologist and liver specialist who co-founded a clinic for the poor. Sen. Rand Paul is an ophthalmologist who practiced for almost 20 years. Sen. Roger Marshall is an OB-GYN who delivered more than 5,000 babies. Perhaps most impressive of all was heart surgeon Sen. Bill Frist, who performed more than 150 heart and lung transplants and started the Vanderbilt Multi-Organ Transplant Center before going on to serve as a U.S. senator from 1995 to 2007 and Senate majority leader from 2003 to 2007.

Every great physician requires compassion, balanced judgment, calmness and resolve under pressure, as well as a deep understanding of the human condition. These are also crucial qualities for a U.S. senator.

That is why the current focus on whether Dr.........

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