Michigan Democratic Senate hopeful Abdul el Sayed displayed strong public support for defunding the police in 2020 despite denying he backed the movement, according to reported interviews from that year.
El Sayed is heading into a heated Democratic primary to replace outgoing Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) and has faced backlash over previous posts he made supporting the “defund the police” movement that arose in the summer of 2020. The candidate has claimed the posts were “taken out of context” and has since deleted social media posts appearing to support the cause, claiming he “never” supported it.
However, a CNN KFile review of his media appearances found that el Sayed, Detroit’s former public health director, defended the concept in several interviews in 2020. El Sayed claimed activists needed to explain what defunding the police means rather than just using the phrase on social media.
“I believe that we do need to defund the police insofar as defunding the police is disinvesting in the means of incarcerating someone or killing them on the streets,” he told Detroit Public Radio in June 2020. He added that he preferred to describe the approach as “refunding” public services.
When recently asked if he still backed the unpopular movement, el Sayed told CNN’s Kasie Hunt he had deleted social media posts referencing the cause, adding that he instead supports investment in law enforcement recruiting and retention, along with behavioral response and public health programs.
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El Sayed is moving toward a highly contested primary where he will face Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI). State Sen. Mallory McMorrow ditched her bid for the seat last week, leaving the choice to Michigan voters.
In the primary contest, el Sayed and Stevens are looking to garner support from former McMorrow supporters. El Sayed is viewed as the more progressive candidate and is backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). Stevens has the support of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and is viewed as an establishment Democrat.