Full Breakdown
Michigan Senate Nominee’s Deleted Videos Reignite Political Fight
8/12/2026, 9:08:29 PM
Resurfaced Deleted Videos Spark Campaign Scrutiny
Investigations by CNN’s KFile and other outlets revealed that Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in Michigan, made more than 100 of his YouTube videos private after winning the primary. Earlier recordings show him proposing to replace the Second Amendment’s right to bear arms with a constitutional right to health care, dismissing the southern border as a low-priority issue, and questioning whether American football is “ethical” or “safe,” linking the sport’s culture to narratives that justified slavery and westward expansion.
Republican officials have seized the material as evidence that El-Sayed holds extremist positions on culturally salient issues, framing the findings as a test of his electability in a swing-state race that could affect Senate control.
Timeline of Key Content and Campaign Milestones
- September 2022 – Video dismisses the southern border as an issue “Republicans love to flog.”
- April 2023 – YouTube video proposes amending the Second Amendment to guarantee health care.
- August 5 2026 – El-Sayed wins the Democratic primary in Detroit.
- August 7 2026 – General-election kickoff rally at Renaissance High School, Detroit.
- August 11 2026 – CNN and other outlets publish the KFile report on the deleted videos.
Campaign’s Official Response
El-Sayed’s campaign calls the archived clips “cherry-picked” and not reflective of his current positions. A spokesperson noted his past role as captain of his high-school football team and his love of Michigan football, citing a 2025 post that encouraged fans to enjoy Fourth of July fireworks. Regarding 2020 comments about defunding the police, the campaign says the remarks were taken out of context and that he never called for outright defunding.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the number of videos removed. The New York Times reports at least 160 videos were made private, while CNN cites “at least 100.” Both figures rely on independent archive reviews, leaving the exact total unverified. Outlets note that a fireworks video was partially sponsored by the Marguerite Casey Foundation, but details of that sponsorship are not disclosed.
Verbatim Quotes
- “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?” — Dr. Abdul El-Sayed
- “You can almost hear a collective gasp across Michigan for all the things he spends time hating on,” — Rep. Mike Rogers
- “Abdul isn’t just another liberal. He’s an extremist,” — Rep. Mike Rogers
- “This is all part of a broader pattern that we found with Abdul El-Sayed,” — Andrew Kaczynski
