In the race for the Michigan Senate, candidate Abdul El-Sayed has distanced himself from his associate, progressive Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, who faced backlash for comments suggesting that American Jewish support for Israel might incite actions against Jews in the U.S.
El-Sayed emphasized his dedication to Jewish safety, equating it to the safety of his daughters. “Antisemitism is a scourge, and we need to address it in all its forms. And I stand against any rhetoric that puts the community at risk,” he stated. He clarified that only he and his campaign spokespeople represent his campaign’s voice, focusing on issues like gas prices, groceries, education, and healthcare, despite attempts to center the race around a Twitch streamer.
This statement is El-Sayed’s most explicit move to separate his campaign from Piker, whose rhetoric he previously supported during the primary. It also highlights his attempts to regain the support of Jewish Democrats and moderates in Michigan after a primary that strained those relationships.
During a Thursday livestream, Piker criticized the notion that Jews uniformly support Israel as “a very dangerous mode of propaganda.” He warned that perpetuating this idea could lead to actions against American Jews and stressed that American Jews prioritize combating antisemitism over supporting Israel. While speaking, he displayed a social media post featuring Michigan Democratic congressional nominee and state Sen. Jeremy Moss, who is Jewish and an advocate for Israel. The post was from Track AIPAC, highlighting pro-Israel donations to Moss’s campaign.
Moss’s support for Israel has drawn criticism from progressives critical of pro-Israel Democrats. A viral audio clip allegedly featuring Moss claiming his campaign’s purpose is to sustain U.S. support for Israel was dismissed by Moss as fake. He told The Detroit News that he would never make such statements.
In a statement on Monday, Moss mentioned ongoing dialogues with El-Sayed about safety and security for Jewish and Arab communities in Michigan and the Middle East.
Moss also condemned Piker’s remarks as divisive. “I will not be lectured by a California podcaster about what Oakland County, Michigan’s Jewish community should and shouldn’t believe,” he asserted.
El-Sayed has faced challenges in unifying Michigan Democrats since narrowly winning a contentious primary fraught with accusations of antisemitism, partly linked to his stance on Israel and his support for Piker, known for his strong criticisms of Israel. El-Sayed faced backlash from the Jewish community after a Michigan synagogue attack, which he condemned while noting the attacker’s family had suffered losses due to the Israeli military in Lebanon. He remarked, “hurt people hurt people.” He also faced scrutiny for avoiding direct answers on Israel’s right to exist in a CNN interview.
During his primary campaign, El-Sayed criticized Stevens for accepting contributions from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, accusing the group of unfairly influencing the race. AIPAC invested $30 million in the race, marking a record for the organization.
Throughout his campaign, El-Sayed has consistently condemned antisemitism.
His struggle to gain support from Jewish voters in Michigan poses a risk to Democrats’ chances of securing the Senate seat. The state’s sizable Muslim and Arab-American and Jewish populations present distinct challenges for Democrats’ messaging regarding Israel, which was also a difficulty for Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential campaign.
Piker’s comments received harsh criticism from Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-Mich.), who supported El-Sayed’s opponent, Rep. Haley Stevens, in the primary and has not yet backed El-Sayed. Scholten labeled Piker’s remarks as “dangerous” and “unacceptable.”
“Piker is a hack who thrives on hate, shock and awe because he lacks substance,” she remarked. “We should all be calling out this disgusting rhetoric so it loses its grip on our politics once and for all. It has no place in Michigan, and no place in our country.”
Piker responded to Scholten through social media, urging her to avoid seeking attention by defaming a prominent anti-Zionist voice and jeopardizing the Senate majority over an issue with limited opposition.
Scholten accused Piker of “targeting” Moss during his comments, as Piker displayed images of Moss. Moss, who is running to succeed El-Sayed’s primary opponent Haley Stevens, has not yet endorsed El-Sayed in the general election.
Republican Mike Rogers seized the opportunity to label Piker as El-Sayed’s “running mate.”
“Hasan Piker’s call for violence against the Jewish Community, specifically against Jeremy Moss, must be condemned by every single Michigan Democrat. But Conman Abdul El-Sayed doesn’t have the guts to disavow his running mate,” Rogers stated in a statement. “Abdul’s attempt at distancing himself from this violent and hateful rhetoric now that he and Hasan won the primary is the epitome of what a conman does — says one thing when it serves him and another when it doesn’t.”
Following his nomination earlier this month, El-Sayed has made efforts to keep Piker at a distance. He disavowed Piker’s controversial 2019 comment that “America deserved 9/11” during an August interview, a remark Piker has since retracted.
Democrats have taken significant steps to reunite the party post-primary, organizing a party unity rally featuring prominent Michigan Democrats, including unity breakfast Sen. Elissa Slotkin and a rally with speeches from Pete Buttigieg. Barack Obama communicated with El-Sayed after his win, publicly affirming the party’s support for him.
This article has been updated with Moss’ response to Piker’s comments.
