Dolly Parton tribute by El-Sayed sparks political backlash online
Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed faced online backlash after posting a Dolly Parton tribute following her death, with critics accusing him of politicizing the icon and exploiting her passing for political messaging, despite Parton’s history of staying apolitical; El-Sayed’s past defense of Sharia law also drew conservative scrutiny as they framed the tribute as pandering.