Michigan Senate candidate El-Sayed claims CNN focuses on Iran only
Michigan Senate candidate dodges question on police defunding
Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed faces scrutiny for past statements about defunding the police during a CNN interview. Rather than directly addressing the terminology of ‘defunding’, El-Sayed advocates for increased investment in libraries, utilities and social services. The interview clip resurfaced, prompting Harris Faulkner and Lara Trump to react to his evasive response.
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Democratic Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed harshly criticized CNN for what he claimed were disturbing appearances on the channel.
“I go on CNN every once in a while and I get a colonoscopy without my consent,” El-Sayed was quoted as saying at a rally in Grand Rapids on Sunday, drawing laughter from the crowd.
“Then they asked me about another country and said, ‘All he’s talking about is another country.’ No! I want everyone to understand that the money sent there has an opportunity cost, and we can get that here, too,” he continued.
DEMOCRATS’ CIVIL WAR COMES TO MICHIGAN, WHERE PROGRESSIVES FACE THE BIGGEST TEST EVER IN THE HIGH-StakeS SENATE BATTLES
Democratic Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed likened his recent appearance on CNN to a “non-consensual 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” and was grilled by anchor Jake Tapper about his previously leaked audio, saying he did not want to comment on the February killing of Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei so as not to offend any of his voters.
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“Why were you worried about people who support the Ayatollah?” Tapper asked.
El-Sayed largely dodged the question, insisting he did not want to comment due to a “ridiculous excuse” and instead focused on the three US soldiers killed in Iranian attacks in Jordan over the weekend.
El-Sayed is garnering huge progressive support in the Michigan Senate race. (AP Photo/Kristen Norman)
“Look, let’s have a Michigan-centered conversation. I’m running for Senate in Michigan. And I think we’re all upset here in Michigan that we’re fighting a war that we probably should never have had. I’d rather our money be spent here,” El-Sayed told Tapper.
“I was specifically asking you about the comments you didn’t want to make because you didn’t want to upset the people in Dearborn, Michigan,” Tapper replied before moving on to another topic.
SOCIALIST-SUPPORTED DEM, WHICH DROPPED THE RICH CRACKS, IS TEARING UP THE RICHEST 1% OF THE STATE, TAX REVENUES SHOW
Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, from left to right, U.S. Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont perform onstage during the “The People vs. The Powerful” campaign event at the Detroit Opera House on Saturday, July 18, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Nic Antaya/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
In another contentious exchange earlier this month, El-Sayed clashed with CNN anchor Kasie Hunt over deleted social media posts supporting defunding the police and accused the network of seeking “clickbait” rather than focusing on issues voters care about.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. El-Sayed, who has won the support of far-left progressives such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, DY, is currently running in a combative Democratic primary against Michigan Rep. Haley Stevens. Both Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez joined him at his campaign rally on Sunday.
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