Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, during an appearance on Fox News' 'Jesse Watters Primetime,' shifted the conversation away from his previous assertions that the National Football League is racist, opting instead to discuss the affordability of game tickets.
When host Jesse Watters pressed El-Sayed on his past statements, which included calling the NFL "fundamentally racist" and criticizing football for fostering "toxic masculinity," "bro culture," and "racism, misogyny, and homophobia," the Democratic Senate nominee focused on the high cost of attending NFL games.
"Look, I think for Colin Kaepernick, I think he should have had several more years in the NFL," El-Sayed said, defending the former quarterback. "Now I think he's a pretty damn good quarterback. I think, unfortunately, he lost a lot of time."
El-Sayed then pivoted to ticket prices, stating, "the bigger issue that we have for football right now is, I looked at ticket prices to try and go and see a game with my family. It's astronomical through the roof."
Watters repeatedly attempted to steer the conversation back to El-Sayed's prior comments about the NFL's alleged racism. "I asked you if you thought the NFL was racist because you said the NFL is racist and now you're talking about ticket prices," Watters said. "So you don't think it's racist anymore. I get it I'm glad you don't think the NFL's racist anymore."
El-Sayed reiterated his point about accessibility and cost, suggesting that the league's pricing makes it difficult for many families to attend games. "Most people can't afford that. Bigger issue with the NFL, you won't talk about the NFL. The bigger issue with NFL is too many people can afford it," he stated. "I'd like to make it more affordable."
Watters characterized El-Sayed's responses as evasive. "All right, so you dodged, you dodgy again," Watters responded.
El-Sayed, a progressive candidate backed by the Democratic Socialists of America, previously expressed strong criticisms of the league's culture and racial dynamics. When directly challenged on these past statements during the interview, he chose to emphasize the economic barriers to enjoying professional football rather than directly addressing the racism claims.