Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed went on Fox News to pitch economic populism and instead got pinned down on trans athletes, a bad stumble for a campaign built on cost-of-living anger.

• El-Sayed tried to steer the interview to gas prices, groceries, healthcare and the trade war, calling the culture war a distraction.
• Pressed on whether boys should play girls' sports, he punted to sports governing bodies rather than giving a straight answer.
• His comeback comparing gender surgery to circumcision landed badly and is the clip likely to spread on TikTok and Instagram.
• The damage is narrow but real: the swing voters he went on Fox to win are the ones who will see it.
• His stronger moments — hammering billionaires who make money off money, not work — will get less airtime.

Outlook: The economy will decide far more Michigan votes than this, but Democrats still have no answer on the issue that sounds like they believe it.