Democratic Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed addressed criticism regarding his past statements about Fourth of July fireworks during his appearance on “The Breakfast Club” radio show. He was questioned by host Charlamagne tha God about his previous support for defunding the police and his critique of fireworks celebrations.
El-Sayed responded, “They’re coming at me on fireworks, I’m like, ‘All right, first, if your whole conception of America is that it’s fireworks, I’m sorry. You don’t have a complete conception of America. But even then, right, like what is it?'”
The discussion followed a CNN report that El-Sayed had deleted or hidden nearly 100 YouTube videos before launching his campaign. Some videos included his call for Americans to “please” find alternative ways to celebrate Independence Day, citing concerns regarding air quality and risks to children and pets.
In a deleted video, El-Sayed reportedly outlined four reasons “why fireworks suck” and argued that “Fireworks just aren’t worth it: hear us out.” These videos featured El-Sayed providing his perspective on the environmental and health impacts of fireworks.
El-Sayed explained on the radio, “I said, ‘Well, every time we do a fireworks show, it destroys the air quality, and people have asthma exacerbations and heart attacks the next day.’ That’s all I was saying. I’m not saying we shouldn’t have fireworks. I’m just saying there could be other ways to show your love.”
Republican nominee Mike Rogers critiqued El-Sayed during a “Hannity” appearance, noting that El-Sayed had spent significant time criticizing activities that many Michiganders enjoy. Rogers commented, “These are views that he held, that he was pretty strong about, but he knew that he had to delete them all… If people really knew who he was, they wouldn’t vote for him.” The scrutiny over El-Sayed’s previous remarks serves as a point of contention in the Senate race.
Fox News Digital contacted the El-Sayed and Rogers campaigns for comments, but immediate responses were not available.