El-Sayed video floating a Second Amendment change to a right to health care draws criticism
A video in which Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed asks about amending the Second Amendment to a right to health care is drawing criticism from conservative outlets. The campaign says old podcast comments were cherry-picked and don't reflect current beliefs.
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The story, neutrally told
Right · 2Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan, is facing criticism over a video in which he asks: "What if we tweaked the Constitution, amended the Second Amendment, and instead of the right to bear arms, we change it to the right to have health care?" Fox NewsR “"What if we tweaked the Constitution, amended the [Second A]mendment, and instead of the right to bear arms, we change it to the right to have health care?"” Read at Fox News ↗ Hot AirR “That is Abdul El-Sayed — the Democratic nominee for United States Senate in Michigan — talking into his own camera, on his own channel.” Read at Hot Air ↗ Right · 2Fox News and Hot Air, both opinion pieces, say the video was one of several that El-Sayed made private on their own channel; Fox notes it was set to private, not deleted. Fox NewsR “Remember, he did not delete the video in question. He only set it to private.” Read at Fox News ↗ Hot AirR “it is one of many videos that he quietly made private from his channel” Read at Hot Air ↗ Right · 1According to the Fox piece, a CNN article about the removed videos prompted a response from El-Sayed's campaign, which said: "Cherry-picked comments from old podcasts don't reflect his beliefs today." Fox NewsR “El-Sayed’s campaign responded to a CNN article about the deleted videos by saying, "Cherry-picked comments from old podcasts don’t reflect his beliefs today."” Read at Fox News ↗
Right · 1The Fox piece says that when Fox host Jesse Watters pressed El-Sayed on the comments, El-Sayed answered that "people are more worried about whether or not they can see a doctor than whether or not they can have a gun." The writer calls this a dodge. Fox NewsR “El-Sayed dodged the question by claiming "people are more worried about whether or not they can see a doctor than whether or not they can have a gun."” Read at Fox News ↗ Right · 1The writers point to El-Sayed's 2018 run for governor, when they say El-Sayed backed an "assault weapons" ban and red flag laws, and to endorsements from Moms Demand Action and Giffords PAC; El-Sayed is quoted saying it was "an honor to receive the endorsement of Giffords PAC." Fox NewsR “In his 2018 run for Governor of Michigan, El-Sayed supported an "assault weapons" ban, backed red flag laws, and embraced a host of other anti-gun positions.”“"it’s an honor to receive the endorsement of Giffords PAC."” Read at Fox News ↗ Right · 1Fox acknowledges that repealing an amendment requires two-thirds of both chambers of Congress and 38 states and "is not going to happen," but argues a senator confirms judges who interpret the Constitution, so El-Sayed could act through judicial votes. Fox NewsR “Repealing a constitutional amendment requires 2/3 of both chambers of Congress and 38 states. It’s not going to happen.”“He only needs to vote, repeatedly, for anti-gun judges.” Read at Fox News ↗
Right · 1Fox places the video against recent court rulings: the Third Circuit's decision against New Jersey's "assault weapons" and magazine ban, and the Supreme Court's June agreement to hear challenges to Cook County, Illinois, and Connecticut restrictions. Fox NewsR “the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled that New Jersey’s ban on "assault weapons" and "high-capacity magazines" was unconstitutional”“in June, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a challenge to Cook County, IL’s ban on "assault weapons"” Read at Fox News ↗ Right · 1Hot Air, which reuses much of the Fox text, adds Michigan gun-ownership figures (a survey figure of 40.2% of adults with a gun at home) and cites a separate report of other previously unreported videos in which El-Sayed suggested police should not carry guns. Hot Air also hopes Republican Rogers wins the Senate race. Hot AirR “In Michigan, 40.2% of adults have at least one gun at home.”“suggested police officers should not carry guns, @ChuckRossDC reports.”“I hope this helps lift Rogers (!) over the top” Read at Hot Air ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right2 outlets
- Framing
- Both opinion pieces treat the video as a revealing admission of an anti-gun agenda and urge El-Sayed to say on camera that they oppose an assault weapons ban. Hot Air largely repeats Fox's argument with mockery added.
- Emphasis
- The made-private video, gun-control endorsements, 2018 positions, the campaign's 'cherry-picked' response, and the judges argument.
- Leaves out or plays down
- No left or centre outlet in this story; neither piece gives the full video context or an El-Sayed statement beyond the campaign's short response and the Watters answer. Fox concedes repeal is unrealistic.
- Charged language
- “radical plan to dismantle the Second Amendment”“the video is the confession”“gun grabbers”“anti-American communist bug”“socialist takeover”
- For example
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“El-Sayed's own words reveal a radical plan to dismantle the Second Amendment” — Fox News
“The video in question is not the story — the video is the confession that explains the agenda.” — Fox News
“He also has all the gun grabbers on board, from Shannon Watts to Gabby Giffords.” — Hot Air
What every side reports
- El-Sayed is the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan.
- A video shows El-Sayed asking about amending the Second Amendment to a right to health care.
- The video was made private; the campaign called the comments cherry-picked old podcast remarks.
Where accounts differ
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Whether the video reveals El-Sayed's current agenda
- Right
- Both outlets say it does and that El-Sayed hid it; Fox says it "explains the agenda."
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Whether the video was deleted or hidden
- Right
- Fox says it was only set to private, not deleted; the campaign's response is relayed as calling the comments old and cherry-picked.
Abdul El-Sayed person
Per the coverage, the campaign says old podcast comments were cherry-picked and don't reflect current beliefs; in a Fox interview, El-Sayed said people worry more about seeing a doctor than owning a gun. Critics say this avoids the question.
“Cherry-picked comments from old podcasts don’t reflect his beliefs today.” — Fox News
“people are more worried about whether or not they can see a doctor than whether or not they can have a gun.” — Fox News
Second Amendment topic
Presented by both outlets as under threat from Democrats who, they argue, are turning to replacement because courts are blocking regulation.
“They are losing the argument about the Constitution — and their answer is to change the Constitution.” — Fox News
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right2 articles
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Fox NewsR · · Opinion
El-Sayed's own words reveal a radical plan to dismantle the Second Amendment
Alarmist Opinion piece calling the video a confession of a radical agenda and arguing a senator could shift courts without repeal.
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Hot AirR · · Opinion
El-Sayed Wants to Do a 'Little' Constitutional Twerking...Um...Tweaking
Dismissive Mocking opinion post that repeats Fox's argument, adds Michigan gun-ownership figures and police-gun claims, and hopes for an opponent's win.
- 15 Oct 14:00 First Fox NewsR El-Sayed's own words reveal a radical plan to dismantle the Second Amendment Opinion
- 15 Oct 22:20 +8h 20m Hot AirR El-Sayed Wants to Do a 'Little' Constitutional Twerking...Um...Tweaking Opinion
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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