Topline
Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed said Tuesday that his views have changed after social media posts resurfaced showing him bashing the Second Amendment and Fourth of July—the latest instance of a progressive walking back previously controversial rhetoric during an era the left is referring to as “Woke 1.”
Michigan Democratic Senate primary winner Abdul El-Sayed speaks during a press conference in front of the Spirit of Detroit statue on August 05, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Finn Gomez/Getty Images)
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Key Facts
CNN on Tuesday reported El-Sayed said “fireworks suck” and pleaded with Americans to find another way to celebrate July Fourth in a 2024 YouTube video, and suggested replacing the right to bear arms with a constitutional right to health care in a 2023 video, among at least 100 of El-Sayed’s YouTube videos that appear to have been made private, according to CNN.
His campaign accused CNN of having “cherry-picked comments from old podcasts” that “don’t reflect his beliefs today,” pointing to a 2025 social media post in which he told followers to enjoy Fourth of July fireworks and insisting El-Sayed respects the Second Amendment, but also supports gun control.
The reversal is the latest example of progressives walking back some of the controversial rhetoric used during the rise of the “defund the police” movement (though the resurfaced El-Sayed YouTube videos were made later)—a period some in the movement are referring to as “Woke 1” in an attempt to laugh off their critics.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., referenced “Woke 1” while defending socialist Francesca Hong, the favorite in Wisconsin’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, during an ABC News interview on Sunday.
Ocasio-Cortez laughed while telling the network, “I have this local city councilman that has this uh saying, ‘Woke 1 was crazy,’” explaining that, “I think that during this time, especially during COVID, there was a huge opening of the Overton window,” referring to the political phenomenon when once-radical ideas become mainstream.
Progressive New York City Councilmember Chi Ossé tweeted a clip of Ocasio-Cortez’s interview captioned, “Woke 1 WAS crazyyyy, Madame President,” reprising the phrase he first used in May when he was called out for tweeting in 2021, “a cis white man should not be the next speaker of the Council.”
NEWS PEG
Hong was heavily criticized for saying she wanted to cancel Thanksgiving in 2020, then giving a roundabout answer to CNN recently when asked if she stood by the statement. She reversed her position in an interview with Politico last week, telling the outlet it’s actually her favorite holiday. Ocasio-Cortez and other prominent progressives, including Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., have not endorsed in Hong’s race. She’s challenging Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who is backed by Gov. Tony Evers, in Tuesday’s primary, which includes several other Democratic candidates. Ocasio-Cortez has said she’s staying out of the race because she’s focused on congressional races, while Sanders and Warren have said they’re not familiar enough with Hong. Some observers, however, have speculated whether the progressive leaders are avoiding Hong after they were burned by former Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner, a political newcomer forced to drop out of the race after a series of revelations about his controversial past, culminating in sexual assault allegations against him.
What Else Did El-Sayed Say In Old Posts Unearthed by CNN?
He argued that fireworks hurt air quality and could trigger PTSD in veterans and scare children and pets in one of the deleted YouTube videos cited by CNN. He also compared the “ethos of football” to narratives used to justify slavery and other forms of oppression, according to CNN, citing a 2023 episode of his podcast that has not been deleted. His campaign noted in response that El-Sayed was the captain of his high school football team and “loves Michigan football on Saturdays.”
Key Background
El-Sayed and Hong are among a wave of progressive primary candidates raising concerns among establishment Democrats about whether they can win statewide contests in November. El-Sayed is in a dead heat with Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers in most polls, while some polls show Hong winning Tuesday’s primary but losing support to Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., in the general election.
further reading
Some Progressives Avoid Francesca Hong Amid Turbulent Primary Season: ‘I Don’t Know Her’ (Forbes)
How Left-Wing Twitch Streamer Hasan Piker Has Divided Democrats (Forbes)
Establishment Democrats Line Up Behind Progressive El-Sayed After Tight Race Divided Party (Forbes)
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