Detroit, Mich. — Weeks before sharing a Detroit stage with former President Barack Obama, Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed softened earlier criticism of Obama in a Meet the Press interview.
Asked about remarks from 2012 claiming Obama kept wars going and undercut civil liberties, El-Sayed said Obama inherited a hard hand and did his best. He likened old disagreements to tensions families work through across generations.
Obama is set to headline an Oct. 24 Detroit rally with El-Sayed and Jocelyn Benson, Michigan’s secretary of state and the Democratic nominee for governor.
El-Sayed, a Democrat, faces former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers in November. He also renewed an apology for a March remark after a Michigan synagogue attack that drew criticism from some Jewish residents, including Attorney General Dana Nessel.
El-Sayed said he regrets stepping on anyone’s grief and wished he had thought twice before speaking.
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