El-Sayed's Problems Mount After New Piker Remark About Another Dem and American Jews

The Democrat nominee for Senate in Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed, is now mired in yet another controversy of his own making.

El-Sayed has campaigned with the extremist Twitch streamer Hasan Piker. Piker, who has already made any number of bad statements, just dropped another one.

Last week, Piker featured an image of Democrat state Sen. Jeremy Moss, who is Jewish and won the party's nomination for Michigan's 11th Congressional District seat.

Moss had previously said people had been spreading a fake audio clip of him stating that the purpose of his campaign for the U.S. House is to ensure America supports Israel.

"If Jews in America keep putting this idea out there that they are singularly invested in Israel, eventually someone is going to come around and take action, not against the state of Israel, mind you, but against American Jews," Piker said.

Democrat Rep. Hillary Scholten (MI-03) blasted Piker for his remarks, saying putting up Moss' picture with that kind of language was "unacceptable." She termed Piker "a hack who thrives on hate, shock and awe"

"It's dangerous for everyone," Scholten said in her press release. "We should all be calling out this disgusting rhetoric so it loses its grip on our politics once and for all."

El-Sayed's opponent in the Senate race, Republican Mike Rogers, called Piker's comments "absolutely disgusting."

"If Abdul El-Sayed had any courage at all, he would call this out and disavow Hasan Piker once and for all," Rogers said.

El-Sayed released an interesting statement.

"My commitment to Jewish safety is the same as my commitment to the safety of my own daughters," El-Sayed said. "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.

"But I want to be crystal clear, nobody speaks for this campaign besides me and my campaign spokespeople.

"And while politicians and pundits try to make this race about a Twitch streamer, we're going to be talking about gas, groceries, good schools, and healthcare. Because that's what Michiganders keep asking about. It's why I'm fighting to get money out of politics, money in your pockets, and Medicare for All."

While he says he "stands against any rhetoric that puts the community at risk," he doesn't specifically condemn Piker, nor does he disavow him or say he won't be campaigning with him in the future. While he attacks "politicians and pundits for making it about a Twitch streamer" (he doesn't even name which streamer), he's the one who made Piker an issue by campaigning with him. People aren't making up the association.