El-Sayed dodges defund police question after deleting past posts

Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed declined to directly answer whether he still supports defunding the police during a CNN interview. The candidate has faced criticism for deleting multiple social media posts from 2020 and 2021 that endorsed the movement to defund police departments. In one June 2020 post, El-Sayed argued that cities spend too much on policing poverty and too little on public schools, health departments, and housing. He also called for a shift in public safety funding priorities. When asked about the deleted posts, El-Sayed emphasized a vision for public safety that prioritizes community-based solutions and criticized the over-reliance on armed police officers. He did not explain why he removed the posts. El-Sayed also expressed support for community violence intervention programs and suggested focusing on future policies rather than past statements. CNN's Kaitlan Collins pressed him on whether his views had changed, but El-Sayed avoided a direct response.