Health Care · Report · File No. 261108-413
El-Sayed says he'll work with Trump on health care if Trump backs coverage for all
Michigan Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed, a Democrat, says he is open to working with President Trump on health care. His condition is that Trump back guaranteed coverage for everyone, so it is an early look at how Democrats may handle health costs in the new Congress.
Every quote in this story (2) was matched word for word against its source. How we work
Michigan Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed, a Democrat, said Sunday that he would work with President Donald Trump on health care. He attached a condition: Trump has to be serious about it. He spoke on ABC's "This Week" 12.
El-Sayed also criticized the president sharply. In the same interview he said Democrats are ready to cooperate 1.
So look, if he wants to act serious, we are happy to work alongside him to actually address these issues.
A plan with Trump's name on it
El-Sayed campaigned on Medicare for All. That is a proposal for government health coverage for everyone in the country. Medicare is the federal health program that now covers most Americans 65 and older 13.
On ABC's This Week, he said he would meet Trump as he would meet with anyone who can advance the goals he ran on. He framed the idea as Trump Care for All, a plan that would guarantee health care to everyone, and said it remains to be seen whether Trump wants to do that 2. He also said he is game if Trump backs a plan that covers everyone 1.
From Channel GOPAbdul El-Sayed wins Michigan Senate raceAbdul El-Sayed · 138 plays · captioned, with the source named
He made a similar offer in an interview with the outlet Zeteo on Friday. Common Dreams reported that he said Trump could put his name on the plan 3.
If he wants to pass Trumpcare-for-All, I'm ok with it. He seems to like to put his name on things.
That Zeteo interview was a response to Sen. Bernie Sanders, who had said the day before that he wasn't certain Trump would veto a Medicare for All bill if Democrats passed one 3.
Where the two sides stand
El-Sayed named several areas of disagreement with Trump. They include the war with Iran, tariffs on Canada, and Medicaid cuts paired with tax cuts for the wealthy. Medicaid is the joint federal-state health program for low-income Americans 1.
He also criticized Trump's choice of Stephen Miller as White House chief of staff. He said it showed a lack of seriousness 2. ABC's report did not include a response from Trump or from his Republican opponent, Mike Rogers 1. Yahoo News reported that the White House and Rogers' campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment 2.
What happens next
No meeting between El-Sayed and Trump has been announced in the coverage we reviewed. Trump has not publicly said he would back a guaranteed-coverage plan in the sources we reviewed 12.
ABC reports that Democrats gained control of the Senate in this election 1. That gives them more say over which health bills reach a vote, though any bill would still need Trump's signature.
That matters because health costs are a leading worry for older voters. El-Sayed's offer is an early test of whether Democrats pursue deals with Trump or hold out for bigger changes. The pattern is a familiar one. Democrats say they will cooperate, and the question is on whose terms.
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Sources
- ABC News, “Abdul El-Sayed says Democrats will work with Trump if 'he wants to act serious'” (2026-11-08). abcnews.com/Politics/abdul-el-sayed-democrats-work-trump-act
- Yahoo News, “El-Sayed says he is 'happy' to work with Trump on Medicare for all, other priorities” (2026-11-08). yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/el-sayed-says-happy-trump-1
- Common Dreams, “'If He Wants to Pass Trumpcare-for-All, I'm OK With It,' Says Medicare for All Champion Abdul El-Sayed” (2026-11-07). commondreams.org/news/trumpcare-for-all-vs-medicare-for-all
Found an error? Tell the newsroom. Corrections are noted at the top of the story.
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