AFPC-USA Condemns Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed’s Treatment of Sky News Correspondent James Matthews

Abdul El-Sayed and Sky News correspondent James Matthews during their encounter. (Sky News)

The Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in the United States (AFPC-USA) has issued a statement responding to Michigan Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed’s treatment of Sky News correspondent James Matthews on Election Day.

Footage of the heated exchange, recorded outside a Detroit polling station on Tuesday, spread rapidly online. In the clip, El-Sayed can be seen holding Matthews by the shoulders while repeatedly refusing to answer his questions, citing the reporter’s affiliation with an international media organization.

Matthews has provided an account of the “challenge for Sky News to reach El-Sayed” and said that they hadn’t had “the chance to ask him any questions before he began to quiz me.”

The complete statement is below.

The Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in the United States (AFPC-USA) condemns Michigan Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed’s treatment of Sky News correspondent James Matthews during their November 3 exchange. El-Sayed dismissed engaging with him because he represented a British news organization. No public official or candidate has the right to intimidate a journalist or interfere with their work; journalists must be able to carry out their responsibilities without physical intimidation or personal disparagement.

Dismissing a correspondent’s questions because of their nationality or the location of their audience undermines the legitimacy of foreign journalism. International correspondents work in the United States precisely to explain its developments, institutions, and policies to audiences around the globe. Decisions made by American leaders have consequences far beyond the American electorate. A journalist does not need to be a voter or constituent to ask legitimate questions.

This concern extends across political parties. In January 2025, Marjorie Taylor Greene mocked French correspondent Sonia Dridi’s accent and called for the exclusion of foreign journalists. More recently, AFPC-USA expressed concern about President Donald Trump’s personal remarks toward The Independent’s Andrew Feinberg. The circumstances differ, but our standard remains the same: journalists’ professional standing must not be diminished because of their nationality, their outlet, or the questions they ask.

AFPC-USA is an independent, nonpolitical, and nonpartisan association. Our responsibility is to support, protect, and defend international correspondents in the United States, regardless of which political figure is involved. We apply that commitment equally to Democrats, Republicans, and officials of every political affiliation.

We stand with James Matthews and call on Senator-elect El-Sayed and all public officials to respect the essential role of international correspondents and engage with them professionally.