Abdul El-Sayed roasts Ohio State as lesser than Michigan in Trump jab

Michigan senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed took a sharp jab at both President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday, calling Ohio State a 'lesser university' than the University of Michigan.

The comment came during a CNN interview after El-Sayed defeated Republican candidate Mike Rogers in the 2026 midterm elections.

El-Sayed, a University of Michigan alumnus, has a long history of trading barbs with Vance, an Ohio State graduate.

The rivalry between the two schools is one of the most intense in American sports, dating back to 1897.

During the campaign, El-Sayed mocked Vance's alma mater repeatedly on the trail.

'But, you know there's always someone in that group that's thirsty for attention,' El-Sayed said at a campaign event after Vance spoke for Rogers at a rally.

'They keep sending that Ohio State Buckeye here.

What's his name? JV Dance?

They keep sending JV here.'

The senator-elect then went after Vance's personality, blaming Ohio State for it.

'And asking JV to do the dirty work, but that's the thing about it,' El-Sayed said.

'JV's got zero charisma.

They taught him that at Ohio State.'

He also poked fun at Ohio State's mascot, Brutus Buckeye, which is named after the nut of the buckeye tree, the state tree of Ohio.

'When your school mascot's like a nut, what do you expect?'

El-Sayed said. 'JV dance.'

After winning his election, El-Sayed took another shot at Vance.

'JD. Habibi. There is this delicious irony in the fact that you're constitutionally obligated to swear me in in January,' he said.

'So you know what that means, Wolverines-one, Buckeyes-zero.'

The constitutional duty El-Sayed referenced is the Vice President's role as President of the Senate, which includes swearing in new senators under Article I, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution.

During the CNN interview, El-Sayed addressed his comments directly.

'Here's the difference between us,' he said.

'You know, he goes on the campaign trail, makes all kinds of accusations about me because of my faith and my name.'

Vance had previously attacked El-Sayed over his Muslim faith and his Egyptian-American heritage during the campaign.

'He calls me evil,' El-Sayed said.

'I just pointed out the fact that constitutionally, he's obligated to swear me in.

And he did go to Ohio State University, which of course is a lesser university than the University of Michigan.'

The University of Michigan and Ohio State University are both public research universities in the Big Ten Conference.

Michigan leads the all-time football series 62-52-6, though Ohio State has dominated recent matchups under coach Ryan Day.

El-Sayed also spoke about his willingness to work with the current White House if they are serious about improving the lives of Michiganders.

'If they're serious about delivering for the people of Michigan, I'm ready to work with anyone,' he said.

The remark left open the question of whether El-Sayed sees Trump and Vance as serious partners.

El-Sayed's win was part of a broader Democratic wave in the 2026 midterms, which saw the party retake control of Congress.

Trump and Vance campaigned heavily for Republican candidates, but voters appeared to reject their message in key races.

Megyn Kelly, the former Fox News host, slammed Trump's 'grift' after the midterm wipeout, saying voters are 'no longer interested in the Trump show.'

Other commentators echoed that sentiment, with Jimmy Kimmel calling on Trump to resign.

El-Sayed, a physician and former Detroit health director, first gained national attention during his 2018 run for governor of Michigan.