Bernie Sanders-endorsed U.S. Senate candidate from Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed, has also campaigned with other radical far-left politicians, such as "Squad" member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. (Photos by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
El-Sayed's past social media posts, which were first reported by CNN, include about a dozen posts that espoused support for the "defund the police" movement.
"When we make a choice to invest in policing in a majority black community, rather than to invest in public schools, that choice is influenced by systemic racism," El-Sayed said during an interview for Michigan Online that was posted to YouTube around the same time as his social media posts that have now been deleted. "When we talk about the question of quote-unquote defunding the police," he continued, "it's a question of asking how do we right-size government away from the racist ideologies that have led us to investing in war material for policing rather than public health for children."
El-Sayed, a former executive director for the City of Detroit's health department, is running in a crowded primary to win Michigan's Senate seat against State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., and many others. On the Republican side, Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., is considered the frontrunner after he narrowly lost a bid for the seat in 2024.
"I’m proud to endorse Abdul El-Sayed to be our next Senator," Tlaib said earlier this month during a town hall tour featuring El-Sayed. "As a health equity champion and Medicare for All advocate, Abdul leads with a grassroots vision for change centered on inclusion and dignity for Michigan families. He has long been a fighter — we were arrested together in 2018 while protesting for a $15 minimum wage — and he is fighting now to kick money out of politics, tackle our affordability crisis, and build a stronger, healthier Michigan."
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Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat from Michigan, during a House Financial Services Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on March 6, 2024. (Getty)
But it isn't just their policies that are similar, so are their opinions about the police.
Prior to Mamdani's election victory last week, he was compelled to go on Fox News and apologize for his past anti-police comments calling the New York Police Department (NYPD) "racist, anti‑queer & a major threat to public safety." Mamdani's past comments, which also included support for the "defund the police" movement, came around the same time as El-Sayed's social media posts that followed the death of George Floyd.
Mamdani told Fox News Digital at the time that he had apologized to rank-and-file NYPD officers behind closed doors and when pressed on whether he would offer a broad, public apology, Mamdani said, "Absolutely."
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"I apologize because of the fact that I'm looking to work with these officers, and I know that these officers, these men and women who serve in the NYPD, they put their lives on the line every single day," Mamdani added.
U.S. Senate candidate from Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed, has embraced comparisons, likening him to New York City mayor-elect and self-described socialist Zohran Mamdani. (Photos by: Bill Pugliano and Alexi J. Rosenfeld via Getty Images)
But, despite the apology, Mamdani's negative comments about the police may have already spurred damage. In October, the same month as his Fox News apology and just weeks before Mamdani's widely expected victory, the NYPD reportedly saw a 35% hike in cops of all ranks leaving the department, according to the New York Post's analysis of Police Pension Fund data.
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"Morale is down because everyone is concerned about the policies Mamdani wants to put in place," president of the Detectives Endowment Association, Scott Munro, said.
Other police departments around the country appear to be taking advantage of this exodus too, with at least one department in Houston, Texas, offering "disgusted" NYPD officers the opportunity to come work for them.
"We believe socialism is going to be bad for law enforcement in New York City," Douglas Griffith, president of the Houston Police Officers Union, told Fox News. Griffith added that he believes Mamdani's poor view of police officers will serve to "demoralize the officers of the NYPD" and result in them leaving.
"Zohran won. Abdul is next," El-Sayed reportedly stated in a July campaign ad. "His win is proof that bold, progressive politics are what Americans want."
Fox News Digital's Alba Cuebas-Fantauzzi contributed to this report.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/tlaib-backed-senate-candidate-hot-seat-after-deleting-defund-police-social-media-posts