Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has repeatedly stated during his campaign that he never called for reducing police budgets. However, video recordings from several years ago have been publicised in which the candidate raised concerns about standard police practices and expressed doubt about whether law enforcement requires armed officers.

The recovered interview clips show El-Sayed questioning the necessity of firearms in policing, a position that contrasts with his current messaging. These earlier statements have emerged during his primary competition against Representative Haley Stevens, highlighting a discrepancy between his previous views on police operations and the positions he is currently advancing to voters.