Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed dodged questions about his past support for defunding the police. In 2020 and 2021, El-Sayed expressed support for the movement on social media, but has since deleted those posts.

El-Sayed’s Past Statements

El-Sayed wrote that most major US cities spend too much on police departments and not enough on public schools, health departments, and housing to eliminate poverty. He described the #Defund movement as an effort to address this issue.

When asked about his past statements, El-Sayed spoke about his vision for public safety, emphasizing the need for community violence intervention and investments in recruitment and retention for law enforcement. However, he did not directly answer whether he still supports defunding the police.

Concerns and Controversies

El-Sayed has faced growing concerns over his views, including accusations of antisemitism based on some of his public comments and his decision to rally with far-left Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, who has been accused of espousing antisemitic beliefs.

In April, El-Sayed agreed with the idea that Israel is ‘just as evil’ as the terrorist group Hamas, stating that killing tens of thousands of people makes one ‘pretty damn evil.’ His campaign has been reached for comment on these issues.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.