politifact.com
Mostly False: Mike Rogers says Abdul El-Sayed supports defunding police and emptying prisons
In the high-stakes Michigan race for U.S. Senate, Republican Mike Rogers is accusing his Democratic opponent, Abdul El-Sayed, of supporting policies that could compromise people’s safety while simultaneously portraying himself as “tough on crime.” In a Sept. 23 X post, Rogers said El-Sayed “supports defunding the police and emptying prisons.” His post included an ad, which is running on TV and digital platforms in the Detroit market, in which a woman says she doesn’t trust El-Sayed with her four children’s safety. “Is this guy for real?” the woman says after a clip of El-Sayed talking about releasing people from jails and prisons. El-Sayed said he supported defunding the police in the past, and spoke about reducing incarceration rates and prison sentences broadly. Rogers’ X post is written in current tense as if El-Sayed “supports” these positions now, while the ad uses past tense to describe El-Sayed’s statements. During his Senate campaign, El-Sayed has not supported defunding the police and said he wants to increase funds for certain aspects of policing. He has not called for emptying prisons. Rogers’ campaign spokesperson Alyssa Brouillet said El-Sayed’s recent positions backtrack on his past statements. “Now, his insulting disapproval of law enforcement is coming...
