The Michigan progressive has tried to scrub social media of criticisms of police in recent weeks. (Credit: YouTube/Harvard University – February 27, 2018)
Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Michigan, once accused the state’s police of profiling in a campaign speech.
"We have a system of policing that seems to want to police on top of people rather than police with people," El-Sayed said during a gubernatorial bid in 2018 in an address before Harvard.
"The probability of closing a murder in Detroit is extremely low. And yet the cops will pick on you because you look a particular kind of way."
El-Sayed’s comments persist despite efforts to scrub his social media of posts championing criticisms against law enforcement, providing a look at his views on Michigan police that preceded the widespread criticisms of police that would emerge in the "Defund the Police" movement.
TLAIB-BACKED SENATE CANDIDATE IN THE HOT SEAT AFTER DELETING 'DEFUND THE POLICE' SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS
Abdul El-Sayed, U.S. Senate candidate in Michigan, speaks at an event. (Monica Morgan/Getty Images)
Despite rejecting political language that pits "left" against "right" and "progressives" against "conservatives," El-Sayed has raised eyebrows nationally for messaging that pushes the edges of his party’s messaging on key issues.
Among other notable positions, El-Sayed has made increasing the role of government a key part of his campaign. In addition to calling for lowering housing costs, he’s advocated for Medicare for All, opposes corporate tax carve-outs and supports tuition-free access to higher education.
But, like most Democrats, El-Sayed has been backtracking from criticisms about local police — retreating from the "defund the police" stance that rose to prominence in the wake of the death of George Floyd in 2020. Although the moveme
