The Free Press says Abdul El-Sayed gave his victory speech in Arabic, then corrects the post and deletes the video; Glenn Greenwald and Defector's Brandy Jensen criticize it
The Free Press posted on November 4, 2026 that Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed gave his victory speech in Arabic. It later said he used a few Arabic phrases in a mostly English speech, then deleted the video.
Case period:
Published by The Dispute Index editorial teamPublished Updated
Overview
El-Sayed, a Democrat, defeated Republican Mike Rogers in the November 3, 2026 election and is set to become the first Muslim U.S. senator. During the campaign, President Donald Trump called him a "jihadist," invoked the Sept. 11 attacks and misstated his name, according to the AP.
The Free Press is a news and opinion outlet founded by Bari Weiss. Sulkin's caption also said Iran's supreme leader had posted that morning that America's collapse "has accelerated," and asked what to make of the acceptance speeches. The Free Press's November 8 note did not name El-Sayed.
People in this case
Abdul El-SayedDirectly involved
Glenn GreenwaldCommented
Timeline
4 timeline entries on this page. Dates: November 4, 2026 to November 8, 2026
November 2026
El-Sayed gives his victory speech in Detroit
In a speech after winning Michigan's Senate race, El-Sayed addresses Vice President JD Vance as "JD, habibi" and says his campaign turned "inshallah" into "hamdulillah," according to the AP.
[01]Associated Press
AP report on reaction in the Arab world to El-Sayed's victory speech, quoting the English lines in which he used the words habibi and inshallah.
Associated Press: 'JD, habibi.' Arabs celebrate El-Sayed's use of a term of affection to mock his foes · Associated PressArticle text, as published by WDIV ClickOnDetroitThe Free Press posts a video saying El-Sayed gave his victory speech in Arabic
Claim
The post's caption says El-Sayed gave his victory speech in Arabic and that Rep. Ilhan Omar addressed her victory party in Somali. In the video, reporter Maya Sulkin repeats the claim about El-Sayed.
[02]Defector: The Free Press deletes video in which reporter is scared of the word habibi
Jensen's commentary on the video and its deletion. It quotes the original post's caption, Maya Sulkin's line in the video, the November 6 correction and the November 8 deletion note.
[03]The Daily Beast: The Free Press acknowledges error in describing Abdul El-Sayed's victory speech
Report on The Free Press's November 4 post and video and its correction about 44 hours later, with the Arabic words El-Sayed used in his victory speech.
The Free Press corrects the post
Correction
The correction says El-Sayed said a few phrases in Arabic but gave the majority of his speech in English, and that The Free Press regrets the error.
[02]Defector: The Free Press deletes video in which reporter is scared of the word habibi
Jensen's commentary on the video and its deletion. It quotes the original post's caption, Maya Sulkin's line in the video, the November 6 correction and the November 8 deletion note.
[03]The Daily Beast: The Free Press acknowledges error in describing Abdul El-Sayed's victory speech
Report on The Free Press's November 4 post and video and its correction about 44 hours later, with the Arabic words El-Sayed used in his victory speech.
The Free Press deletes the video
Correction
The outlet says the post contained a factual error and its tone fell short of its standards, and that it will change how it handles posts on social media.
[04]The Free Press
The Free Press says it deleted the video, that the post contained a factual error and that its tone fell short of its standards, and that it will change how it handles social media posts.
The Free Press on X: deletion of its opinion video about foreign languages in election night speeches · The Free PressPost on X, November 8, 2026
Claims
Claims separate what was said from what is contested. Follow each source for the original wording and context.
What's disputed
Disputed claim
The Free Press
Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed gave his victory speech in Arabic.
What is disputed
The Free Press's own correction says El-Sayed said a few phrases in Arabic and gave the majority of his speech in English. The Associated Press quotes English lines from the speech in which he used the words habibi and inshallah.
Sources (3)
- Associated Press: 'JD, habibi.' Arabs celebrate El-Sayed's use of a term of affection to mock his foes · Associated PressArticle text, as published by WDIV ClickOnDetroit
Response record
Responses
Choose one response filter, or select All responses to see the full record.
3 responses. Newest first.
Brandy JensenCulture editor at Defector, in a commentary on the site Before this statement
Jensen quotes the video's caption and Sulkin's line that the first Muslim senator gave his victory speech in Detroit in Arabic, says El-Sayed stated his full name and used a couple of common Arabic words in a speech largely delivered in English, and quotes the outlet's correction.
"It's so hard to figure out why they may have scripted, produced, edited, and released such a willful mischaracterization of a politician about whom they've spent a lot of time fear-mongering"
CondemnedResponding to: Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed gave his victory speech in Arabic.
Full statement and sources
Jensen writes that the video described a speech El-Sayed gave almost entirely in English as delivered in Arabic, and sarcastically asks why the outlet scripted and released what she calls a willful mischaracterization of a politician it has spent a lot of time fear-mongering about.
After the statement
In the same sentence she says Bari Weiss used the CBS News name to try to associate El-Sayed with 9/11. She ends by suggesting that if the outlet worries the discourse about the video lacks good faith, it was already unhealthy.
Why this label?
Jensen calls the video a willful mischaracterization and mocks the outlet's correction, so we labeled it condemns.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
The Free PressNews and opinion outlet, in a post on its X accountDirectly involvedBefore this statement
Two days earlier, The Free Press had posted a correction saying its post and opinion video wrongly stated that El-Sayed gave his acceptance speech in Arabic, and that he said a few phrases in Arabic but gave the majority of his speech in English.
"We deleted an opinion video about the use of foreign languages in election night speeches. The post contained a factual error and its tone fell short of what we believe advances healthy public discourse."
CondemnedResponding to: Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed gave his victory speech in Arabic.
Full statement and sources
The Free Press says it deleted an opinion video about the use of foreign languages in election night speeches because the post contained a factual error and its tone fell short of what it believes advances healthy public discourse. It says it regrets the error.
After the statement
The outlet added that the rigorous editorial process behind its website and newsletters must apply to everything it posts on social media, and that it would update how it works to achieve that.
The Free Press on X: deletion of its opinion video about foreign languages in election night speeches · The Free PressPost on X, November 8, 2026Why this label?
The Free Press disowns its own video, saying it was factually wrong and that its tone fell short, and removes it, so we labeled it condemns.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Glenn GreenwaldJournalist and host of System Update, in a post on XBefore this statement
The Free Press's post said El-Sayed gave his victory speech in Arabic. Its correction, posted two days later, said he said a few phrases in Arabic but gave the majority of the speech in English.
"Leave the mega-viral tweet with the false sensationalistic claim, continue to profit off of that false claim as it continues to viralize, then tack on a "correction" TWO FULL DAYS LATER that nobody sees, just so you can say you did. Ladies and gentlemen: The Free Press."
CondemnedResponding to: Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed gave his victory speech in Arabic.
Full statement and sources
Greenwald says The Free Press left its viral post with a false claim in place, kept benefiting from it as it spread, and then added a correction two full days later that few would see.
After the statement
Two days later, The Free Press said it had deleted the video.
Glenn Greenwald on X: on The Free Press's correctionPost on X, November 6, 2026Why this label?
Greenwald calls the post's claim false and says the late correction was added only so the outlet could say it had corrected it, which criticizes how it handled the error, so we labeled it condemns.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Sources
(5)
Original post
The Free Press on X: deletion of its opinion video about foreign languages in election night speeches
About this source
The Free Press says it deleted the video, that the post contained a factual error and that its tone fell short of its standards, and that it will change how it handles social media posts.
- Author
- The Free Press
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Associated Press: 'JD, habibi.' Arabs celebrate El-Sayed's use of a term of affection to mock his foes
Relevant passage: Article text, as published by WDIV ClickOnDetroit
About this source
AP report on reaction in the Arab world to El-Sayed's victory speech, quoting the English lines in which he used the words habibi and inshallah.
- Author
- Sarah El Deeb, Associated Press
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
The Daily Beast: The Free Press acknowledges error in describing Abdul El-Sayed's victory speech
Relevant passage: Article text
About this source
Report on The Free Press's November 4 post and video and its correction about 44 hours later, with the Arabic words El-Sayed used in his victory speech.
- Author
- William Vaillancourt, The Daily Beast
- Published
- Accessed
Analysis
Defector: The Free Press deletes video in which reporter is scared of the word habibi
Relevant passage: Article text
About this source
Jensen's commentary on the video and its deletion. It quotes the original post's caption, Maya Sulkin's line in the video, the November 6 correction and the November 8 deletion note.
- Author
- Brandy Jensen
- Published
- Accessed
Original post
Glenn Greenwald on X: on The Free Press's correction
About this source
Greenwald's post criticizing The Free Press for leaving its original post up and adding a correction two days later.
- Author
- Glenn Greenwald
- Published
- Accessed
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Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- The Free Press says Abdul El-Sayed gave his victory speech in Arabic, then corrects the post and deletes the video; Glenn Greenwald and Defector's Brandy Jensen criticize it
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/cases/the-free-press-el-sayed-victory-speech-arabic-correction
The Dispute Index. "The Free Press says Abdul El-Sayed gave his victory speech in Arabic, then corrects the post and deletes the video; Glenn Greenwald and Defector's Brandy Jensen criticize it". First published: 2026-11-14. Last updated: 2026-11-14. https://disputeindex.com/cases/the-free-press-el-sayed-victory-speech-arabic-correction