By Salma El-Sakka
Archival video footage from a 2007 University of Michigan commencement ceremony shows former President Bill Clinton praising then-student valedictorian Abdul El-Sayed, nearly two decades before El-Sayed's victory in the 2026 midterm elections. The clip circulated widely on X ahead of Election Day.
Clinton's Commendation
In the footage, Clinton said of El-Sayed: "I wish every person in the world who believes that we are fated to have a clash of civilizations, and cannot reach across the religious divides, could have heard [him] speak today."
Path to Politics
Ahead of the midterms, El-Sayed appeared on Jon Stewart's podcast, The Weekly Show, and recounted how Clinton personally encouraged him to consider a career in politics.
