El-Sayed Deletes YouTube Videos Highlighting Controversial Views

A Democratic Senate candidate from Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed, has seemingly removed over 100 YouTube videos expressing far-left perspectives. El-Sayed recently secured the Democratic nomination against an establishment opponent, amplifying concerns that extremist views are increasingly influencing the party.

Prior to his campaign, El-Sayed made these videos inaccessible to the public. In one of the now-gone recordings, he criticized Republicans for focusing on illegal immigration, insisting it shouldn’t be a primary worry for voters.

In another deleted video, Democrats suggested repealing the Second Amendment, which upholds gun rights, and replacing it with a constitutional right to healthcare. El-Sayed proposed tweaking the Constitution so that instead of a “right to bear arms,” it would affirm a “right to health care.”

One video taken down in July 2024 had him advocating against celebrating Independence Day with fireworks, citing environmental damage and risks to individuals with PTSD, children, and pets.

He also voiced support for “feminist prison abolition” during an ad read for his show.

In response to CNN’s investigation, El-Sayed’s campaign downplayed the significance of the deleted videos. They stated, “Abdul is a former captain of his high school football team, loves Michigan football on Saturdays, and celebrates Independence Day with fireworks like the next Michigander. Comments from old podcasts don’t reflect his present beliefs.”

While the campaign claimed his views have evolved since those videos were posted, the most recent ones were only two years old.

El-Sayed is now competing against Republican candidate Mike Rogers in an attempt to help Democrats regain control of the Senate in the upcoming midterm elections. Recent polling shows a tight race, with Rogers slightly ahead at 44.3% to El-Sayed’s 44.0%.