Michigan Senate Candidate El-Sayed Defends Alliance With Controversial Streamer Hasan Piker Amidst Democratic Backlash

Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed is taking heat for campaigning with Hasan Piker, a controversial online streamer accused of antisemitic and pro-terrorist remarks.

El-Sayed, a physician and former county health official, is running for the Democratic nomination in Michigan's U.S. Senate primary against U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow. The winner will likely face former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers in the general election.

On Tuesday, El-Sayed and Piker were scheduled to hold rallies at Michigan State University and the University of Michigan, with appearances by Rep. Summer Lee of Pennsylvania and local candidates.

The alliance has sparked outrage from Democratic rivals and Jewish leaders in Michigan, particularly just weeks after the March 16 shooting at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield.

Piker's Controversial Past

Piker, a 34-year-old Turkish American with 3.1 million Twitch followers and 1.8 million YouTube subscribers, has been accused of making inflammatory statements including:

• Describing some Orthodox Jews as "inbred"
• Stating "Hamas is a thousand times better" than the Israeli state
• Saying "America deserved 9/11"
• Comparing Houthi rebels to Anne Frank
• Denying mass rape took place during the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks

The Anti-Defamation League's Jonathan Greenblatt called El-Sayed's decision "absolutely shocking" and said it reflects "the dangerous normalization of antisemitism in our politics."

Piker has rejected antisemitism allegations but said in a recent interview he regrets some of his more extreme rhetoric, including referring to Haredi Orthodox Jews as "inbred."

El-Sayed's Defense

El-Sayed has defended the alliance, saying he does not agree with everything Piker has said. He told a pro-Palestinian podcast that Piker's past comments have been "taken out of context."

"I think they find me to be a more appropriate target than to just actively disparage the voters," Piker said in an interview with The Associated Press.

El-Sayed said he believes the Democratic Party "has given up on the idea of persuasion."

"If you're serious about persuading, what you do is you engage with that audience and you engage through that creator to have a conversation about what you actually want to build," El-Sayed said.

El-Sayed does not agree with everything Piker has said but believes the progressive cause is "larger than those critiques."

"I love and revere the Jewish people because I love ALL people. And I criticize Israel's genocide because I love ALL people," El-Sayed said.

Democratic Party Division

The alliance highlights deep divisions within the Democratic Party as it prepares for the midterm elections.

Piker has increasingly divided Democrats, with Illinois Rep. Cheri Beates recently calling him "an unapologetic antisemite."

Some Democratic participants have backed out of the rallies. Ann Arbor state Rep. Carrie Rheingans told local media she still endorses El-Sayed but has "heard him denounce antisemitism vehemently multiple times."

"I don't appreciate many of Piker's antisemitic comments," Rheingans said.

Campaign Context

El-Sayed has been backed by progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders and is attempting to channel populist appeal. He recently appeared on Fox News Channel's "Fox & Friends" and ended Tuesday with the Piker rally at the University of Michigan.

The Senate race is critical as the seat is being vacated by Democratic Sen. Gary Peters.

Both El-Sayed and Mallory McMorrow have been scrutinized over their comments about Jews and Israel. McMorrow compared Piker to white nationalist Nick Fuentes, who has celebrated Hitler and attacked "organized Jewry."

El-Sayed's campaign recently faced scrutiny after a former security staffer told a local blog the employee had witnessed comments that "would give credibility to the claims of antisemitism and pro-Islamist regimes/factions" before resigning.

What's At Stake

El-Sayed raised eyebrows with his response to the Temple Israel attack. He condemned the attack but also criticized Israel's offensive in Lebanon, where the attacker's brother was killed.

A former campaign security official told a local blog the staffer had witnessed comments that "would give credibility to the claims of antisemitism and pro-Islamist regimes/factions" before resigning.

El-Sayed has the endorsement of former U.S. Rep. Andy Levin among progressive Jews.

The campaign stops come as both Piker and El-Sayed face scrutiny over their comments about Jews and Israel. The alliance has become a flashpoint in Michigan's Senate primary.

El-Sayed said he would not apologize "for every single video that people put up there that Hasan said this or Hasan said that."

"If you insist on campaigning with an extremist like Piker just weeks after an attack on Jews at Temple Israel in Michigan, voters in your state deserve to know what you truly believe and how closely you align with his most abhorrent views," wrote Third Way President Jonathan Cowan.

Cowen asked six questions including "Do you also dismiss the mass rape of Jewish and Israeli women by Hamas?" and "Do you believe as he does that 'Hamas is a thousand times better' than the Israeli state?"

El-Sayed said he thinks the progressive cause is "larger than those critiques."

Any Democrat who tells you that you cannot speak with some group of people because of one offensive thing that they might have said is missing the point of what it means to actually bring people into a legitimate mainstream policy where we can actually fight for the things we need and deserve, El-Sayed said.

[Sources: Associated Press, Fox News, JTA, The Hill]