CNN’s K-File Uncovers Deleted Tweets of Abdul El-Sayed Calling to Defund Police in 2020

BURNETT Tonight our K ░░░░░░░░ has exclusive reporting on ░░░░░░░░ Sayed a progressive Democrat ░░░░░░░░ currently the front runner ░░░░░░░░ Michigan s open Senate ░░░░░░░░ who insisted he never ░░░░░░░░ called for defunding the ░░░░░░░░ He told CNN just ░░░░░░░░ week his tweets were ░░░░░░░░ out of context Listen ░░░░░░░░ him Clip starts EL ░░░░░░░░ I deleted all the ░░░░░░░░ because I didn t ░░░░░░░░ them to be taken ░░░░░░░░ of context like this ░░░░░░░░ I think this debate ░░░░░░░░ 2020 and the ways ░░░░░░░░ tweets are going to ░░░░░░░░ are really nice on ░░░░░░░░ if you want to ░░░░░░░░ clicks They re not ░░░░░░░░ effective and nobody really ░░░░░░░░ me about them on ░░░░░░░░ on the on the ░░░░░░░░ or in communities in ░░░░░░░░ So if you want ░░░░░░░░ talk about housing or ░░░░░░░░ care or corporate dominance ░░░░░░░░ our politics I think ░░░░░░░░ are a lot more ░░░░░░░░ questions that people are ░░░░░░░░ asking me about what ░░░░░░░░ want their next senator ░░░░░░░░ do in the state ░░░░░░░░ Michigan rather than for ░░░░░░░░ in D C Clip ░░░░░░░░ BURNETT Well our K ░░░░░░░░ has uncovered interviews of ░░░░░░░░ Sayed from 2020 repeatedly ░░░░░░░░ the case for defunding ░░░░░░░░ police after a K ░░░░░░░░ report last year that ░░░░░░░░ a dozen deleted tweets ░░░░░░░░ El Sayed in support ░░░░░░░░ the movement K FILE ░░░░░░░░ Andrew Kaczynski is Outfront ░░░░░░░░ Andrew what more did ░░░░░░░░ find KACZINSKY Well Erin ░░░░░░░░ we found that in ░░░░░░░░ El Sayed didn t ░░░░░░░░ tweet about defunding the ░░░░░░░░ He defended the idea ░░░░░░░░ multiple interviews including one ░░░░░░░░ he plainly said We ░░░░░░░░ need to defund the ░░░░░░░░ Now you mentioned this ░░░░░░░░ your intro but I ░░░░░░░░ people to look at ░░░░░░░░ look at what he ░░░░░░░░ the Detroit news late ░░░░░░░░ year He said I ░░░░░░░░ to be clear I ░░░░░░░░ never never called for ░░░░░░░░ My goal in that ░░░░░░░░ was to help everybody ░░░░░░░░ what we were talking ░░░░░░░░ Law enforcement exists for ░░░░░░░░ reason but ideally you ░░░░░░░░ to make sure that ░░░░░░░░ are not folks out ░░░░░░░░ committing crimes in the ░░░░░░░░ place So El Sayed ░░░░░░░░ argument was that he ░░░░░░░░ not calling to defund ░░░░░░░░ police He was trying ░░░░░░░░ explain a broader policy ░░░░░░░░ funding things like social ░░░░░░░░ public health education and ░░░░░░░░ poverty programs to prevent ░░░░░░░░ before it happens But ░░░░░░░░ we found in 2020 ░░░░░░░░ that El Sayed actually ░░░░░░░░ further than that In ░░░░░░░░ at the time he ░░░░░░░░ t just describe investing ░░░░░░░░ other services He also ░░░░░░░░ said that meant spending ░░░░░░░░ on police and in ░░░░░░░░ interview he said directly ░░░░░░░░ police should be defunded ░░░░░░░░ less money should be ░░░░░░░░ on police Listen to ░░░░░░░░ Clip starts EL SAYED ░░░░░░░░ believe that we do ░░░░░░░░ to defund the police ░░░░░░░░ as defunding the police ░░░░░░░░ disinvesting in the means ░░░░░░░░ incarcerating someone or killing ░░░░░░░░ on the streets What ░░░░░░░░ we were to invest ░░░░░░░░ social services What if ░░░░░░░░ were to invest in ░░░░░░░░ schools What if we ░░░░░░░░ to invest in public ░░░░░░░░ What would the world ░░░░░░░░ like there And I ░░░░░░░░ that has to be ░░░░░░░░ way we go And ░░░░░░░░ means both investing more ░░░░░░░░ these services and it ░░░░░░░░ means investing less in ░░░░░░░░ Clip ends KACZINSKY So ░░░░░░░░ was just one of ░░░░░░░░ interviews that we reviewed ░░░░░░░░ and part of why ░░░░░░░░ matters is because he ░░░░░░░░ running in a true ░░░░░░░░ state Donald Trump won ░░░░░░░░ in 2024 and it ░░░░░░░░ where Republicans are almost ░░░░░░░░ going to make crime ░░░░░░░░ policing a central issue ░░░░░░░░ where defund the police ░░░░░░░░ know a poll that ░░░░░░░░ looked at showed for ░░░░░░░░ that just 27 of ░░░░░░░░ supported the defund the ░░░░░░░░ movement In April 2021 ░░░░░░░░ saw that 70 were ░░░░░░░░ to it Politically this ░░░░░░░░ not been a phrase ░░░░░░░░ s that s been ░░░░░░░░ even at the time ░░░░░░░░ Yeah And obviously as ░░░░░░░░ point out something people ░░░░░░░░ about in that race ░░░░░░░░ is contradictory to to ░░░░░░░░ he said in that ░░░░░░░░ clip we aired in ░░░░░░░░ introduction to you What ░░░░░░░░ El Sayed and his ░░░░░░░░ saying now in response ░░░░░░░░ your reporting KACZINSKY Yeah ░░░░░░░░ Roxy Rechner that s ░░░░░░░░ spokesperson for the campaign ░░░░░░░░ to El Sayed s ░░░░░░░░ health experience working with ░░░░░░░░ law enforcement in Wayne ░░░░░░░░ Michigan And he told ░░░░░░░░ they told CNN in ░░░░░░░░ statement that his perspective ░░░░░░░░ become more nuanced They ░░░░░░░░ One simple word has ░░░░░░░░ been enough to fully ░░░░░░░░ the reforms we need ░░░░░░░░ a challenge as complex ░░░░░░░░ our criminal legal system ░░░░░░░░ as he did in ░░░░░░░░ County in 2023 Abdul ░░░░░░░░ that we need to ░░░░░░░░ law enforcement recruitment retention ░░░░░░░░ retirement funding so that ░░░░░░░░ enforcement officers come from ░░░░░░░░ they serve He also ░░░░░░░░ we must reject militarized ░░░░░░░░ pass the George Floyd ░░░░░░░░ in Policing Act and ░░░░░░░░ for community violence intervention ░░░░░░░░ health response and improvements ░░░░░░░░ public health to reduce ░░░░░░░░ and protect the lives ░░░░░░░░ communities and law enforcement ░░░░░░░░ Erin?”