El-Sayed tries to put the Hasan Piker debate behind him as midterms approach
Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed has faced backlash for months over his relationship with Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, who is known for his controversial rhetoric. The candidate has yet to disavow Piker and now seems to be tiring of the questions, looking to shift focus to the issues that he says are really at the heart of the race.
El-Sayed's relationship with Piker was scrutinized before the two of them appeared at a campaign event in April 2026. On March 30, El-Sayed posted a video with the caption "Let's talk about Hasan." In the video, the Michigan Democrat explained that he was looking for a way to access people who "feel locked out of our politics," saying that they are the same people who Piker speaks to through his daily streams. He went on to clarify where he agrees with Piker, which included the streamer's stances on the war in Iran, AIPAC's involvement in U.S. politics and healthcare.
"Now, he streams for eight hours a day, every day. A lot of the things that he said, I might not agree with, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to have a conversation with him, and that doesn't mean that the people who listen to him don't deserve to listen to their politicians and to have a pathway into politics to vote for the things that they need and deserve," El-Sayed said.
The Michigan Democrat joined "FOX & Friends" ahead of his event with Piker, where he said that appearing with someone did not mean that he agreed with them. While he did not disavow Piker specifically, he referred to the streamer's past remarks, saying, "Of course, I oppose rape. Of course, I don't think 9/11 was justified."
Amid the scrutiny of his decision to campaign with Piker, El-Sayed repeatedly blamed the criticism on "cancel culture" and insisted that Democrats needed to be willing to speak with people at their level.
The event with Piker went on as planned, but El-Sayed still faced questions. He was asked while standing next to Piker to disavow the streamer's past rhetoric, which he refused to do.
"I'm not here to disavow people's views. I'm here to have a conversation about how to get money out of politics, put money back in pockets, and pass Medicare for all. That's the conversation that folks are here to listen to," El-Sayed said in response.
The controversy surrounding the April campus appearance would set off a months-long line of questioning, with El-Sayed repeatedly walking the line between condemning some of Piker's rhetoric without going into specifics or alienating the streamer's audience. This became more common after El-Sayed defeated Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., in the Democratic primary in August. Following El-Sayed's victory, Piker called for those who opposed the Michigan Democrat to be "punished" by the party.
"You can't be out here saying like, 'Oh, I'm a centrist Democrat. And I think Abdul is a bridge too far.' That must be punished," Piker said.
After his primary victory, El-Sayed was asked in multiple interviews to comment on Piker's past rhetoric. When CNN's Kaitlan Collins asked El-Sayed whether he would renounce Piker in August, something that Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., had urged him to do, the Michigan Democrat said he was "less focused on folks who are campaigning with me, more focused on the folks I'm campaigning to."
A few days later, El-Sayed was asked about Piker again, this time during an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press." In response to host Kristen Welker's question, El-Sayed repeated what he said on CNN about focusing more on voters than those who appear with him on the campaign trail.
Shortly after El-Sayed's appearance on "Meet the Press," Piker drew the ire of several lawmakers on both sides of the aisle after making a comment that some interpreted as blaming antisemitic attacks on American Jews' support of Israel.
"People don't f--- with Israel any longer. And if Jews in America keep putting this idea out there that they're singularly invested in Israel, eventually someone will come around and take action not against Israel, mind you, but against American Jews," Piker said during his Aug. 20 stream.
HASAN PIKER CALLS FOR DEMOCRATS WHO OPPOSE ABDUL EL-SAYED TO BE 'PUNISHED'
The comment set off a wave of condemnations from lawmakers, including Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J.; Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich.; and Jacky Rosen, D-Nev.; House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.; and Reps. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J.; Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y.; Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla.; Brad Schneider, D-Ill.; Greg Stanton, D-Ariz.; and Hillary Scholten, D-Mich.
El-Sayed issued a statement in which he seemed to distance himself from Piker amid the backlash.
"I believe all Americans deserve the right to advocate for what they believe without fear of violence. This is particularly true for communities that have been intimidated for their beliefs in the past," El-Sayed wrote on X.
"My commitment to Jewish safety is the same as my commitment to the safety of my own daughters," he added. "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."
Shortly after the controversy over Piker's remarks, El-Sayed told Semafor that he had "no plans" to campaign with the streamer. However, this did not stop the press from asking the Michigan Democrat about Piker.
During an appearance on "The Breakfast Club" in late August, El-Sayed framed criticism of his ties to Piker as a form of "cancel culture," saying that there was a "massive effort to cancel Hasan."
"I think we've got to stop with the cancel culture. It's not about, like, 'Where are you on this one individual?' It's more, 'Do you agree or disagree with the thing that the person said?' And, the thing about it is, that, like, when we play as if the whole person can be reduced to a single soundbite that you took out of context, you're not, you're not dealing with real life," El-Sayed said.
ABDUL EL-SAYED DISMISSES QUESTIONS ABOUT HASAN PIKER TIES ON 'FACE THE NATION,' PIVOTS TO GROCERIES
El-Sayed's exasperation with the media's questions about Piker became apparent during a Sept. 13 appearance on "Face the Nation." When CBS News' Weijia Jiang asked El-Sayed about Jewish Michiganders' concerns regarding his ties to Piker, the Michigan Democrat appeared to be fed up.
"Weijia, with all due respect, this is the third time you’ve asked about a Twitch streamer in California. I’ve done four events in Michigan this week. You know what didn’t come up? Twitch streamers in California," El-Sayed responded. The candidate said that voters would rather discuss grocery prices, healthcare and the environment, among other things.
"I’m not interested in having a conversation about streamers in California because they are not raising the prices of gas and groceries," El-Sayed added.
Fox News Digital reached out to El-Sayed's campaign and Piker for comment but did not immediately receive a response.