Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed told Fox News host Jesse Watters on Monday, August 26, 2026, that he would not defend the Green New Deal when confronted with his past support for the progressive climate proposal. This marks a notable shift from years of publicly embracing the policy by name.

El-Sayed stated, "Look, I’m not going to defend the Green New Deal," after being challenged about his previous endorsements. When pressed further, he redirected the conversation toward lowering energy costs and creating Michigan jobs by prioritizing renewable energy sources.

Critics have accused El-Sayed of downplaying some of his past beliefs and deleting social media posts to appear more moderate and appealing to Michigan voters. However, unearthed posts reveal that in January 2019, El-Sayed wrote, "Rather than announcing the next iteration of this or that car at [the North American International Auto Show 2019], I’d love to see automakers announce that they support the #GreenNewDeal."

He also expressed strong support for the Green New Deal in multiple posts, once writing "I BELIEVE IN A GREEN NEW DEAL" in all caps. El-Sayed suggested the policy is essential to preserving freedom of speech, stating there can be no First Amendment "without the freedom to breathe the breath you have to take to speak in the first place." He emphasized, "I stand with the Green New Deal because it stands for those kids," highlighting the policy's focus on communities affected by corporate pollution.

Michigan, a key battleground state that Donald Trump won in 2024 but lost in 2020, is expected to have one of the most competitive Senate races in the country. The likely narrow results in Michigan could determine control of Congress.

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