Abdul El-Sayed Distances Himself From Streamer Hasan Piker

Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed is facing criticism for attempting to distance himself from far-left Twitch streamer Hasan Piker. During a press interaction at the state Democratic Party Nominating Convention, El-Sayed declined to discuss Piker, describing him as a "social media person in California" and stating that the conversation was "not serious."

These dismissals contradict claims from Piker, who told Semafor that El-Sayed specifically asked him to "stump" for the Michigan campaign. Piker stated he had not previously considered delivering campaign speeches and expressed surprise that his appearance at a rally triggered intense backlash from establishment Democrats and the think tank Third Way.

The controversy centers on Piker's history of inflammatory remarks, including claims that "America deserved 9/11" and recent comments regarding Michigan state Senator Jeremy Moss. While El-Sayed issued a statement asserting that only he and his spokespeople speak for the campaign, critics argue the candidate is panicking over his association with a controversial ally.

El-Sayed, who is running for the seat of retiring Senator Gary Peters against Republican nominee Mike Rogers, has also issued an apology to Fox News Digital for previous comments regarding a March attack on a Michigan synagogue, stating his attempt to provide context for the terrorist attack was poorly timed.