El-Sayed Questions Hegseth’s High School Athletic Record

On October 30, 2026, Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s high school athletic career, suggesting he had spent much of it on the bench and benefited from parents who encouraged him. El-Sayed contrasted that support with his account that his own parents did not attend his games, and said his experiences as a brown athlete shaped how seriously he took himself.

Hegseth’s high school record contrasts with El-Sayed’s characterization. Hegseth attended a school in Minnesota, where he was an all-state basketball player and established school bests in career three-pointers, single-season three-pointers and single-season shooting percentage. He was also valedictorian and later entered the school’s athletic hall of fame.

Hegseth played basketball at Princeton, where he was mainly a reserve. In a 2003 game against Columbia, he came off the bench to make two three-pointers and assist on the winning basket. He also participated in the 2001 NCAA tournament.

El-Sayed competed in club lacrosse at the University of Michigan. The account of his 2006 season cited 15 appearances and no points or assists. The exchange drew criticism from commentators and social media users, who objected to El-Sayed’s remarks about Hegseth’s mother and family support. The dispute arrived shortly before the 2026 midterm elections, in which El-Sayed is seeking a Senate seat.

El-Sayed’s Personal Story Challenges Hegseth’s Self-Made Image

On October 30, Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed used Pete Hegseth’s athletic history to make a point about unequal experiences of encouragement and self-worth. El-Sayed said his parents did not attend his games and described how, as a brown athlete, he learned not to take himself too seriously. He portrayed Hegseth as someone whose parents’ enthusiastic support may have left him overestimating his ability.

El-Sayed’s account drew criticism after commentators highlighted Hegseth’s basketball accomplishments. Hegseth was an all-state player at Forest Lake Area High School, set records for three-point shooting and later played at Princeton. He came off the bench against Columbia in 2003, making two three-pointers and assisting on the winning basket.

The focus on Hegseth’s mother and family support became a flashpoint, with critics arguing that cheering for a child is ordinary parental encouragement. That response, however, pushed El-Sayed’s broader point about how family support and racial experience shaped the two men’s athletic stories out of view. El-Sayed played club lacrosse at Michigan, making 15 appearances in 2006 without recording a point or assist. The dispute unfolded shortly before the midterms, as he campaigns for a Senate seat.

Hegseth’s Basketball Record Undercuts El-Sayed’s Benchwarmer Taunt

On October 30, Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed tried to cast Pete Hegseth as a benchwarmer whose parents inflated his sense of accomplishment. Hegseth’s record contradicts that portrait: he was an all-state basketball player in Minnesota, set multiple school three-point records, and later played at Princeton.

At Princeton, Hegseth was primarily a reserve, but he made an impact in a 2003 game against Columbia, sinking two three-pointers and assisting on the game-winning basket. He also played in the 2001 NCAA tournament. His high school achievements earned him a place in his school’s athletic hall of fame, and he was valedictorian.

El-Sayed also made his own childhood and racial experience part of the comparison, saying his parents did not attend his games and that he learned not to take himself too seriously. But his remarks about Hegseth’s mother and family support drew criticism from commentators and online users, who argued that parents cheering for their children is unremarkable. El-Sayed played club lacrosse at Michigan; his 2006 season included 15 appearances without a point or assist. The episode has put the candidates’ competing athletic credentials and El-Sayed’s personal attack in the spotlight shortly before the midterm elections.