Abdul El-Sayed’s description of Michigan as the “capital of Arab America” drew a rebuke from Turning Point USA CEO and board chair Erika Kirk, after a summit where Arab American identity was a stated theme.
El-Sayed made the remark Friday, Nov. 6, at the Arab America Foundation’s CONNECT Empowerment Summit. He described Michigan as the “capital of Arab America” after noting that Washington is the U.S. capital.
Kirk responded in a post on X: “There is no ‘Arab America.’ There is only the United States of America.”
The foundation’s program lists El-Sayed as a guest and Westfields Marriott Washington Dulles in Chantilly, Virginia, as the venue. It also names public service and community leadership among the summit’s themes.
