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Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed is facing a wave of online blowback after dodging questions about his ties to far-left streamer Hasan Piker, a frequent presence on the campaign trail in Michigan.
When asked about Piker’s influence on his campaign, El-Sayed told reporters the race is about Michigan and that he is “not interested in a conversation about a social media person in California.”
“But I don’t want to have a conversation about a Twitch streamer in California,” El-Sayed said. “This is not a serious conversation.”
Digital then pressed El-Sayed on why he brought Piker to Michigan if that was the case, which he waved off before doubling down and calling Piker “a single streamer from California” when another reporter asked if he would condemn him.
ABDUL EL-SAYED PLAYS DOWN HASAN PIKER TIES AFTER STREAMER’S VIRAL ANTISEMITISM FIRESTORM
Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed speaks to reporters on the campaign trail in Lansing, Michigan. ( Digital/Paul Steinhauser)
The clip exploded across social media and drew widespread ridicule as El-Sayed scrambles to distance himself from the streamer, who has roughly 10 million social media followers.
In a post on X, writer and political commentator Stephen L. Miller wrote, “Amazing. They are so terrified of him that she literally jumps in one question deep.”
“Who is the candidate here?” Miller wrote in another post.
“This keeps getting worse,” Republican political strategist Kyle Martinsen posted on X.
“I’m interested in it so there’s a problem here,” Townhall senior columnist Kurt Schlichter posted on X.
In another post on X, “The Charlie Kirk Show” executive producer Andrew Kolvet wrote, “It’s very clear Abul El Sayed is panicking. He went from doing a half dozen campaign stops with Hasan Piker and taking glamor shots with him, to refusing to say his name. Now he’s just ‘some media person in California.’ What a pal.”
HASAN PIKER INSISTS ABDUL EL-SAYED ASKED HIM TO ‘STUMP’ FOR MICHIGAN CAMPAIGN AMID BACKLASH
Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive candidate in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Michigan, talks poolside with streamer Hasan Piker at a party for content creators supporting his campaign, Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, in Detroit. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo)
“He might be worse than Kamala…,” contributor Joe Concha posted on X.
Pro-Israel activist and philanthropist Adam Milstein also wrote in a post on X, “El Sayed again refuses to condemn Hasan Piker — who himself recently confirmed it was El Sayed that asked him to campaign for him, not the reverse.”
Piker has emerged as a growing flashpoint within the Democratic Party over his past controversial remarks, including his claim that “America deserved 9/11.”
Last week, El-Sayed responded to outrage over his association with Piker after the streamer’s comments on a viral audio clip involving Jewish Michigan state Sen. Jeremy Moss, the Democratic nominee in the state’s 11th Congressional District, sparked outrage.
“I want to be crystal clear, nobody speaks for this campaign besides me and my campaign spokespeople,” El-Sayed said in a statement.
EL-SAYED PALS AROUND WITH FAR-LEFT STREAMER HASAN PIKER THE DAY BEFORE CRUCIAL MICHIGAN SENATE ELECTION
Streamer Hasan Piker, left, and Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive candidate in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Michigan, center right, take a selfie with young fans following a campaign event, Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo)
Despite El-Sayed’s attempts to distance himself from Piker, the streamer has spoken openly about his invitation to join the campaign, saying at an April rally with El-Sayed, “The reason why, when Abdul asked for me to come on this journey with him, I said yes, absolutely.”
In a Friday interview with Semafor columnist David Weigel, Piker said El-Sayed also asked him to “stump” for his campaign.
El-Sayed will face Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers for retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters’ seat in a race that could determine control of the Senate.
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Digital reached out to El-Sayed’s campaign for comment.
