Michigan Senate Candidate Abdul El-Sayed Invites Controversial Streamer Hasan Piker to Campaign Rallies Amid Democratic Primary Backlash

Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed is set to campaign with Hasan Piker at two Michigan universities, sparking immediate backlash from Democratic rivals and Jewish leaders over the streamer's history of antisemitic rhetoric.

The planned rallies at Michigan State University and the University of Michigan will pit El-Sayed against fellow Democrats who have labeled Piker an extremist. State Sen. Mallory McMorrow compared Piker to Nick Fuentes, the openly antisemitic livestreamer who has divided Democrats and Republicans alike.

El-Sayed, a physician and former Wayne County health executive, has defended the decision to rally with Piker, arguing that he meets voters where they are and that the progressive cause is larger than individual critiques. He recently told a pro-Palestinian podcast that Piker represents "where the disaffected people are."

Rallies Planned Despite Backlash

El-Sayed and Piker are scheduled to appear with Rep. Summer Lee of Pennsylvania and local candidates at both MSU and the University of Michigan. The events have already drawn criticism from multiple angles.

The Hillel at Michigan State University said it was "deeply troubled" by Piker's planned visit to campus, calling him a "known antisemite." At least one planned speaker, a state representative, backed out of the rallies citing concerns of her Jewish constituents.

Ann Arbor-based state Rep. Carrie Rheingans has also backed out. She told local media that she still endorses El-Sayed but added, "I don't appreciate many of Piker's antisemitic comments… Maybe Hasan Piker has some room to learn how his comments affect other people, but I have to say, Jews, Muslims, and Arabs in Michigan are hurting for a lot of really good reasons right now."

Jewish Leaders Issue Strong Criticism

National Jewish leaders have joined the criticism, with some comparing Piker to Nick Fuentes. Jonathan Greenblatt, head of the Anti-Defamation League, took to social media to condemn the decision.

"Abdul El-Sayed's decision to host campaign rallies with Piker is not just alarming; it's absolutely shocking. It reflects a broader trend: the dangerous normalization of antisemitism in our politics," Greenblatt tweeted. "That this is happening in Michigan, where Temple Israel was targeted in a violent antisemitic attack … makes it even more egregious."

The criticism comes just weeks after the attack on Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield on March 16, where an attacker drove his vehicle into the building entrance next to an early childhood center.

El-Sayed has defended his decision to campaign with Piker, including directly to Greenblatt. Their points of agreement, El-Sayed said, include "the way that AIPAC has decimated our politics and made us think that the most important goal of our foreign policy is to backstop Israel."

Piker's Controversial History

Piker, who has 3 million followers on his Twitch streaming platform, has increasingly divided Democrats. He has been accused of antisemitism and has made controversial statements about Israel and the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.

Piker has described Hamas as "a thousand times better than the fascist settler colonial apartheid state" and has denied or downplayed that rape took place during the Oct. 7 attacks. He has also compared Houthi rebels to Anne Frank and referred to Haredi Orthodox Jews as "inbred."

A Jewish congressman from Illinois has recently called Piker "an unapologetic antisemite" even as some of his colleagues have continued to appear with him on his streaming show and in real life.

El-Sayed's Defense

El-Sayed, who grew up in a heavily Jewish suburb of Detroit and has the endorsement of former U.S. Rep. Andy Levin, has grown to nearly 30 percent support in sparse polling. He has pointed out that former Vice President Kamala Harris invited Piker to stream at the 2024 Democratic National Convention during her bid for president.

"I love and revere the Jewish people because I love ALL people. And I criticize Israel's genocide because I love ALL people. I pray someday you understand," El-Sayed tweeted in response to Greenblatt's criticism of his association with Piker.

In a subsequent video, the candidate pointed out that he would not apologize "for every single video that people put up there that Hasan said this or Hasan said that" — and that he thought the progressive cause was larger than those critiques.

Third Way Demands Answers

The center-left think tank Third Way has called on El-Sayed to outline specifically where his views and Piker's differ. Third Way's president, Jonathan Cowan, wrote: "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."

Cowan 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?"

The Michigan Senate Race

The three-way Democratic primary includes El-Sayed, McMorrow, and Rep. Haley Stevens, who is backed by AIPAC. The race is critical as Michigan is one of just three toss-ups in ratings from Sabato's Crystal Ball.

Cook Political Report rates the 2026 Michigan Senate race as one of just four toss-ups among the 35 upper-chamber seats up for grabs in November. The seat could be make or break for either party in November as Democrats fight an uphill battle to win back the Senate majority.

Republican Mike Rogers, endorsed by President Trump, faces no serious challenger in the GOP primary as he takes another shot at the Senate. Some polls suggest Rogers would see his best chance of winning if El-Sayed won the Democratic primary.

Arab American Leaders Warn Democrats

Seven Arab American leaders who spoke with The Guardian warned that centrist Democrats' attack on El-Sayed and Piker are strategic and moral blunders that show the party is making the same mistakes that fueled their 2024 electoral demise.

"Some in the Democratic party haven't learned from 2024," said Basim Elkarra, executive director of Council on American-Islamic Relations Action. "Especially in a battleground state, I think they're going to suffer the consequences in 2028 if they don't rectify their strategy."

Michigan holds the nation's largest Arab American population per capita in the US, anchored by a huge Lebanese diaspora largely from southern Lebanon. The controversy unfolds amid Israel's assault on southern Lebanon, and as Israel's military action are deeply unpopular among Democrats.

Polling Signals Close Race

Sparse polling signals a close Democratic primary race, with all three candidates idling at less than 30 percent support and a significant portion of voters still undecided.

"Those undecideds — they could be folks who are trying to decide between Stevens and one of those [other] two, but could also be more progressives who are trying to decide between McMorrow and El-Sayed. We just don't know what that is from the polling that we have," said David Dulio, a political science professor at Michigan's Oakland University. "So I think … we could be at an inflection point with this Piker visit, just because it's gotten so much attention and it is controversial."

El-Sayed and Piker remain scheduled to appear with Rep. Summer Lee of Pennsylvania and candidates for local office at both MSU and the University of Michigan on Tuesday.

What This Means for Democrats

Michigan presents a major opening for Republicans just two years after Mike Rogers came within a point of flipping former Sen. Debbie Stabenow's seat. Rogers lost to then-Rep. Elissa Slotkin in the 2024 election as President Trump flipped the swing state by a little more than a point in the presidential race.

"For the Senate, it is the best pickup opportunity that we have in the country," said Jason Cabel Roe, a former executive director of the Michigan Republican Party. "There's not a lot of pickup opportunities … so if some of our incumbents find themselves at risk, the seat becomes even more important."

Despite Trump's recent win at the top of the ticket, Republicans have struggled for more than 30 years to win a Senate seat in the purple state. But Rogers gave the party new hopes of a potential flip.

El-Sayed's Response to Critics

El-Sayed has suggested that Piker's critics are more broadly conflating criticism of Israel with antisemitism. He also noted that his opponents can spend their time "policing where conversations happen and who gets to be a part of them if they want."

"Abdul is focused on showing up everywhere," a spokesperson for the campaign told The Hill in an email. "Other candidates can spend their time policing where conversations happen and who gets to be a part of them if they want. Abdul is focused on showing up everywhere."

Michigan Democratic strategist Adrian Hemond suggested the drama around Piker could give McMorrow more room to separate herself from El-Sayed as they both woo progressives. McMorrow has pitched herself as part of a new generation of Democratic leaders and has openly called for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to step down from leadership.

What's Next

The rallies at Michigan State University and the University of Michigan are scheduled for Tuesday. The winner of the August primary is expected to take on Rogers in November. The race will determine whether Democrats can flip Michigan's Senate seat and whether Republicans have a path to reclaim the upper chamber.

The Piker controversy has already made headlines here and elsewhere, making it clear that this election is about more than policy — it's about defining the boundaries of progressive politics in a swing state.