‘We do need to defund the police’: 2020 interviews undermine Abdul El-Sayed’s claim he never advocated for unpopular movement
El-Sayed’s Past Support for Police Funding Cuts Faces Scrutiny Ahead of Michigan Senate Race
We do need to defund the police – Michigan’s Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate is encountering renewed attention regarding his historical positions on police budget allocations. Abdul El-Sayed has recently maintained that he never advocated for reducing law enforcement funding, yet archival material from several years ago tells a different story. During a conversation with CNN’s Kasie Hunt last week, the candidate explained that he removed earlier social media posts that appeared to support the movement, characterizing those messages as being removed from their proper setting and describing them as political sensationalism designed for Washington audiences.
Historical Record Shows Consistent Endorsement
A comprehensive examination by CNN’s KFile team reveals that El-Sayed’s statements from 2020 and 2021 demonstrate genuine support for the concept of redirecting police resources. Rather than merely repeating the popular slogan, he articulated specific reasoning for why communities should consider shifting financial priorities away from traditional law enforcement toward other public services.
“We do need to defund the police,” El-Sayed stated during a 2020 radio broadcast, directly addressing concerns that the movement’s messaging might weaken broader criminal justice reform initiatives.
His remarks emerged during the period when the movement experienced its greatest visibility, occurring after the death of George Floyd in May of that year. Although the position resonated strongly with progressive voters, it struggled to gain widespread acceptance among the general population.
Elaborating on the Concept
Speaking on Detroit Public Radio in June 2020, El-Sayed offered his perspective on how public discourse had become oversimplified. He argued that providing clear explanations proved more valuable than relying on abbreviated social media expressions.
“We are in a moment where a lot of our public conversation gets chewed down into 280 characters or less,” he explained, emphasizing the importance of thorough discussion over simplistic messaging.
At that time, El-Sayed held multiple roles including public health advocate, podcast host, and Detroit’s former public health director. He provided detailed reasoning for his position, connecting the concept to broader social goals.
“I believe that we do need to defund the police in so far as defunding the police is disinvesting in the means of incarcerating someone or killing them on the streets,” he said. “And in investing more in the means of educating and empowering, engaging communities with the means of being able to take on systemic poverty, that we’ve allowed systematic racism to allow to fester in too many communities.”
He further clarified that his position involved both increasing investment in alternative services while simultaneously reducing police budgets.
“What if we were to invest in social services? What if we were to invest in public schools? What if we were to invest in public libraries? What would the world look like there? And I think that has to be the way we go. And that means both investing more in these services, and it also means investing less in police,” he stated.
Campaign Response and Political Context
Roxie Richner, representing El-Sayed’s campaign, highlighted his extensive experience collaborating with local law enforcement throughout Wayne County, Michigan. She told CNN that his understanding of policing issues has evolved over time.
“One simple word has never been enough to fully explain the reforms we need for a challenge as complex as our criminal legal system,” Richner said. “Just as he did in Wayne County in 2023, Abdul believes we need to improve law enforcement recruitment, retention, and retirement funding so that law enforcement officers come from the communities they serve. He also believes we must reject militarized policing, pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, and opt for community violence intervention, behavioral health response, and improvements in public health to reduce violence and protect the lives of communities and law enforcement alike.”
El-Sayed currently leads the Democratic field for Michigan’s Senate seat, with the primary election scheduled for August 4. He will compete against U.S. Representative Haley Stevens following the withdrawal of state Senator Mallory McMorrow. The two candidates are set to debate on television on Tuesday evening. The Democratic nominee is projected to face Republican former Representative Mike Rogers in the general election this November.
As a battleground state where President Donald Trump secured victories in two of the previous three elections, including 2024, Michigan Republicans are expected to examine Democratic candidates’ historical positions on crime and policing carefully. El-Sayed, now 41 years old, previously served as Detroit’s lead public health official and later directed Wayne County’s Department of Health, Human and Veterans Services. He also hosted the podcast “America Dissected” and contributed as a CNN commentator.
Public opinion data from the period demonstrates that policies supporting police funding reductions faced considerable resistance. A Fox News survey conducted in July 2020 revealed that 82 percent of Michigan registered voters held favorable views of their local police departments. Additionally, a 2021 Axios/Ipsos poll indicated that only 27 percent of respondents endorsed the “defund the police” approach, underscoring the political challenges associated with the position during that era.