Sky News Supports Corresponed After Clashes: 'Doing His Job'

James Matthews, the Sky News correspondent based in Washington, faced public scrutiny this week after a video of him arguing with newly elected Senator Abdul El-Sayed circulated online. The clip, filmed outside a polling station in Detroit on Tuesday, shows the two men talking over one another. El-Sayed held Matthews by the shoulders while questioning why a British reporter was asking him questions about U.S. politics.

The footage quickly gained traction on social media, accumulating more than 12 million views on Twitter within 48 hours. In the video, El-Sayed argues that his election results do not impact voters in the United Kingdom. He tells Matthews, 'You’re a journalist in the U.K. You know how many votes I want to get in the U.K.? Zero.' When Matthews notes that Sky News has a large international audience, El-Sayed dismisses the figure by saying, 'Like five people.'

El-Sayed also accused the journalist of chasing him around the precinct. Matthews denied this on camera, stating, 'Abdul, I’m not chasing you. I’m asking you questions.' A separate video posted by Sky News two months ago also resurfaced, showing Matthews asking El-Sayed to respond to a previous remark by Donald Trump regarding the senator’s credibility.

Sky News issued a statement supporting its reporter, describing Matthews as proud of his work covering the election campaign. The network emphasized that U.S. election outcomes have global ramifications, including in the U.K. and across the 138 countries where millions consume its content. 'We’re proud of our correspondent James Matthews, who was doing his job: covering the election campaign and asking straightforward questions on behalf of our audiences,' the statement read.

Matthews provided his own account on the Sky News website, describing the situation as a challenge for the network to reach the senator. He noted that he had not had the opportunity to ask questions before El-Sayed began quizzing him. 'What ensued, in public, wasn’t pretty,' Matthews wrote, adding that for a politician usually comfortable with the media, the interaction felt like a misstep.

Support for Matthews came from several prominent U.K. journalists, including Sky News colleagues Alex Crawford, Cathy Newman, and Jayne Secker. Crawford wrote on X that the election matters beyond Michigan and that non-voters have their own significance. Newman praised Matthews for keeping his cool, while Secker described the interaction as an insight into the character of El-Sayed, whom she noted the public will hear from frequently over the next two years.

Matthews, a BAFTA-winning journalist, has served as Sky News’ U.S. correspondent since 2022. He has been with the network for more than 20 years.