Jesse Watters challenges Abdul El‑Sayed’s war‑budget claim in Michigan Senate race
On Oct. 5, 2026, Fox News host Jesse Watters confronted Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El‑Sayed over the candidate’s claim that foreign wars are driving the nation toward bankruptcy and that the Pentagon dominates the federal budget.
Watters pointed to official spending figures showing roughly 13 percent of total federal outlays are allocated to the Department of Defense. He noted that the remaining budget is largely absorbed by entitlement programs, health‑care costs and interest payments on the national debt.
“We’re bankrupt because of foreign wars!” El‑Sayed said on Fox’s “The Story.” “The reason we pay so much money is because we end up fighting wars that we shouldn’t be fighting, and because we cut loopholes for the richest people.”
El‑Sayed had earlier argued that high taxes fund government services such as public schools, roads, transit, garbage pickup and clean air, and that the rich are not paying a sufficient share. He framed the government’s role as providing basic foundations—schools, clean water, health‑care and childcare—while criticizing the nation’s involvement in overseas conflicts.
Watters’ response, posted to his Twitter feed, underscored the discrepancy between El‑Sayed’s narrative and the spending data. He wrote that the real “budget busters” are entitlements, health‑care and servicing the debt, adding that the candidate’s own plan calls for $6 trillion a year in additional entitlements.
Social‑media users quickly amplified the exchange. One commentator highlighted that federal spending on social‑welfare programs rose from 8 percent in 1950 to 61 percent in 2025, while the defense share fell from 54 percent to about 20 percent. Another user cited the Constitution’s provision for a common defense, suggesting that a narrow focus on military spending overlooks larger fiscal pressures.
The debate comes as Michigan voters weigh the fiscal priorities of Senate hopefuls. While El‑Sayed linked high taxes to war spending, Watters emphasized that the bulk of the budget is already committed to domestic programs and debt obligations.
Both sides have sparked further online discussion, with the clip of Watters’ on‑air critique circulating widely and prompting additional scrutiny of budget claims in the upcoming election cycle.
