A Michigan Senate candidate dodges a question about police defunding
Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic Senate candidate in Michigan, is under fire for past statements about police defunding during a CNN interview. Instead of talking directly with the words ‘defund’, El-Sayed advocates more investment in libraries, public services and social services. A clip of the interview resurfaced, prompting reactions from Harris Faulkner and Lara Trump about his evasive answer.
NEWNow you can listen to Fox News articles!
Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed took a swipe at CNN for what he suggested was his unsavory appearance on the network.
“I go on CNN every once in a while and I get an unscheduled colonoscopy,” El-Sayed said with a laugh at a rally in Grand Rapids on Sunday, drawing laughter from the crowd.
“And then, everything they ask me about is another country, and they’re like, ‘Everything he’s ever talked about is another country.’ No! I want everyone to understand that there is an opportunity cost to money sent over there, and that’s what we can have here,” he continued.
THE DEMOCRATS’ STATE BATTLE GOES TO MICHIGAN WHERE THE CONTESTANTS FACE THE BIGGEST TEST BUT IN THE BIG SENATE SHOW.
Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic Senate candidate for the Democratic Alliance, equated his recent appearance on CNN to “an illegal colonoscopy.” (Sarah Rice/Getty Images)
CNN did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Earlier in the day, El-Sayed appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union,” where he was grilled by anchor Jake Tapper about previously leaked audio saying he did not want to comment on the February assassination of Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei so as not to offend any of his people.
BACKED MICHIGAN SENATE IS CALLING AMERICAN POLITICS ‘A DISEASE’ AFTER FALLING ON US.
“Why were you worried about the people who support the ayatollah?” Tapper asked.
El-Sayed largely sidestepped the question, insisting he did not want to comment because of “ridiculous excuses,” instead focusing on the three American servicemen killed in Iranian strikes in Jordan over the weekend.
El-Sayed is galvanizing strong support going forward in the Michigan Senate race. (AP Photo/Kristen Norman)
“Look, let’s have a Michigan-based conversation. I’m running for the Senate in Michigan. And I think here in Michigan, we’re all probably sad that we went to a war that we shouldn’t have fought. Our money is better spent here,” El-Sayed told Tapper.
“I was asking you specifically about the comment you didn’t want to make because you didn’t want to offend the people of Dearborn, Michigan,” Tapper replied before moving on to another topic.
REPRESENTATIVE DEMO OF THE TOP 1% IN THE COUNTRY ON CRACKS, TAX RETURN SHOW
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Democrat of New York, from left, Abdul El-Sayed, US Democratic Senate candidate from Michigan, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, Vermont Independent, on stage during “The People v. The Powerful” campaign event at the Detroit Opera House in Detroit, Michigan, Saturday, July 28, 2028. (Nic Antaya/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
In another controversy earlier this month, El-Sayed clashed with CNN anchor Kasie Hunt over her deleted social media posts expressing support for defunding the police, accusing the network of seeking “clickbait” instead of focusing on issues voters care about.
El-Sayed, who received the approval of leftists such as Sen. Bernie Sanders, Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, DN.Y., is currently running in the Democratic primary against Michigan Rep. Haley Stevens. Both Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez joined him at Sunday’s campaign rally.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS PROGRAM
