Macklemore and Abdul
‘Today is the day’: Macklemore throws support behind Abdul El-Sayed
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- The rapper has become a prominent voice in support of Palestinian rights, releasing “Hind’s Hall” in 2024 in solidarity with pro-Palestinian student protesters.
- El-Sayed has made opposition to US military aid to ‘Israel’ and criticism of its war in Gaza central to his campaign.
- Both have drawn attention for their outspoken positions on Palestine, bringing their shared advocacy into the spotlight during Michigan's Senate race.
Rapper Macklemore has thrown his support behind Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, sharing a photograph of the two together on Tuesday as Michigan voters head to the polls in a closely watched race.
“Today is the day Michigan,” Macklemore wrote in an Instagram post Tuesday, tagging El-Sayed and urging voters to turn out.
The post comes as El-Sayed faces Republican Mike Rogers in a high-stakes contest that could help determine control of the US Senate.
The endorsement also brings together two public figures who have spoken out in support of Palestinian rights. Macklemore has become one of the most prominent US musicians advocating for Palestine, releasing his protest track “Hind’s Hall” in May 2024 in solidarity with student protesters demanding university divestment from companies linked to ‘Israel’. Proceeds from the song went to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.
El-Sayed, meanwhile, has made opposition to US military aid to ‘Israel’ and criticism of its war in Gaza central to his political platform, drawing both support from progressive voters and criticism from some Democratic leaders and pro-’Israel’ groups.
Their alignment comes amid renewed attention to Macklemore's activism. In September, the rapper was removed from Ed Sheeran's US stadium tour after calling for a free Palestine during performances. He subsequently pledged to donate $1 million in net tour earnings to six organizations providing support to Palestinians.
El-Sayed, a former director of Detroit's health department, won the Democratic Senate nomination in August after defeating Rep. Haley Stevens in a closely contested primary. His campaign has focused on universal healthcare, economic inequality, corporate influence in politics and ending US military aid to ‘Israel.’
The Michigan race has attracted national attention, with El-Sayed facing former Republican congressman Mike Rogers in a contest that could prove decisive in determining control of the Senate. The campaign's final days were also marked by Democratic divisions after Stevens unexpectedly endorsed Rogers over her former primary rival.
Macklemore's election-day post adds a high-profile entertainment-industry voice to the support surrounding El-Sayed's campaign, connecting the rapper's longstanding Palestine advocacy with a Senate race in which US policy toward ‘Israel’ has been a major point of debate.
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