Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed is facing scrutiny over a collection of old YouTube videos that have been removed from public view, including clips in which he criticized Fourth of July fireworks, discussed replacing the Second Amendment and downplayed the southern border as a leading concern for Americans.
Roughly 100 previously public videos have been made private as El-Sayed campaigns for the US Senate, according to a CNN KFile investigation.
CNN reported that although the videos are no longer publicly accessible, it reviewed transcripts that had been archived before the material was made private.
One video published in July 2024 featured El-Sayed giving viewers four reasons “why fireworks suck” while discussing Independence Day celebrations.
The episode, titled “Fireworks just aren’t worth it: hear us out,” focused on concerns including air pollution following fireworks displays in Detroit, chemicals used to produce fireworks, the potential effects on veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and risks to children and pets.
El-Sayed’s campaign said his comments about fireworks do not represent his current position.
The campaign pointed to a 2025 social media post in which El-Sayed encouraged people to enjoy Fourth of July fireworks.
“Abdul is the former captain of his high school football team, loves Michigan football on Saturdays, and celebrates the Fourth of July with fireworks like the next Michigander,” his campaign said. “Cherry-picked comments from old podcasts don’t reflect his beliefs today.”
Other removed videos contained comments about immigration, guns and Republican political messaging.
In a September 2022 episode, El-Sayed criticized Republicans for emphasizing conditions along the southern border.
He described the border as an issue Republicans “love to flog” and argued that it “doesn’t even make the top five among issues that people in the United States actually care about that affect their lives.”
El-Sayed also argued that Republican voters had been encouraged to prioritize the border over issues including inflation, gas prices and public health.
He criticized Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) for efforts to transport migrants to other parts of the country.
“It’s crazy to me that the party that says that they’re the party of family values can’t understand when people will make decisions for their families — because that’s exactly what these migrants are doing,” El-Sayed said.
His campaign now says El-Sayed supports immigration reform that maintains security at the southern border while opposing some of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies.
Another deleted video contained remarks about the Second Amendment following a 2023 school shooting in Tennessee.
“What if we tweaked the Constitution, amended the amendment, and instead of the right to bear arms, we change it to the right to have health care?” El-Sayed asked.
He argued that such a change would result in “fewer people dying by gun and more people living because they have health care.”
El-Sayed’s campaign now says he respects the Second Amendment while supporting policies aimed at preventing criminals from obtaining firearms.
His previous statements about law enforcement have also attracted scrutiny.
During interviews in 2020, El-Sayed said, “we do need to defund the police,” describing the concept as redirecting resources from law enforcement toward schools, social programs and efforts to combat poverty, per Trending Politics.
CNN previously reported that El-Sayed deleted social media posts supporting the movement.
El-Sayed has more recently rejected claims that he supports defunding police and has argued that his previous statements have been presented without their full context.
Other controversial material remains publicly available.
In a February 2023 podcast episode, El-Sayed questioned whether football could be considered “ethical” or “safe.”
He argued that the sport’s “ethos” reflected narratives historically associated with slavery and westward expansion.
The deleted material also included a sponsorship notice involving the Marguerite Casey Foundation.
During sponsorship messages on his “America Dissected” podcast, El-Sayed praised areas of research supported by the organization, including what he called “feminist prison abolition.”
Not all of the approximately 100 videos removed from public view contained political commentary.
CNN reported that other deleted material included lighter subjects, as well as a November 2024 episode encouraging viewers to support then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
The scrutiny comes shortly after El-Sayed narrowly defeated Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) in Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary.
El-Sayed is now set to face former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) in the general election in a closely watched race that could play a role in determining control of the Senate.
Republicans are expected to use El-Sayed’s previous statements as they seek to portray him as outside Michigan’s political mainstream.
El-Sayed’s campaign maintains that the resurfaced material does not accurately represent his current political positions.
