Democratic Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed moved swiftly on Wednesday to distance himself from leftist streamer Hasan Piker after Piker told Axios he believes the United States is “pound-for-pound” worse than the terrorist group al-Qaeda.
In a statement to Axios, El-Sayed flatly rejected the comparison, taking a swipe at Piker’s relevance in the process. “I do not agree with this statement on al-Qaeda, nor do I give much weight to the statements made by a social media streamer,” El-Sayed said. “I am more concerned with the dangerous policies of Donald Trump and Mike Rogers that are raising the prices of gas, groceries and healthcare for Michiganders.”
The pushback comes as Republicans continue to hammer El-Sayed’s association with Piker as a central line of attack in the pivotal Michigan Senate race.
Piker, one of Twitch’s most prominent political streamers, was pressed by Axios on his earlier declaration that “America is the top dog in terrorism.” When asked directly whether he believed the United States was worse than al-Qaeda, the group behind the September 11 attacks, Piker did not back down. “Pound for pound as far as the number of deaths, yes,” he said. “We have caused tremendous terror all around the world.”
Piker pointed to the deaths of more than 100 people at an elementary school in Minab, Iran, earlier this year as justification for his claim, saying, “If you’re killing 140 schoolgirls, that is an act of terror.”
El-Sayed’s swift rebuttal appears aimed at getting ahead of Republican-aligned groups who have made Piker’s inflammatory commentary a key weapon against him. According to Axios, those groups have already poured nearly 3 million dollars into ads tying the Democratic nominee to the streamer’s most controversial remarks.
Axios also noted that Mike Rogers, El-Sayed’s Republican rival in the race, has repeatedly worked to link the Democrat to Piker. Speaking to attendees at the GOP midterm convention in Dallas, Rogers accused El-Sayed of having “chosen” Piker “as his running mate,” declaring that “together, they attack America, excuse extremism, and treat our country like the villain.”
The controversy adds another flashpoint to an already contentious Michigan Senate contest, with Piker’s past remarks, including his widely condemned 2019 comment that “America deserved 9/11,” continuing to shadow El-Sayed’s campaign despite his repeated efforts to put daylight between himself and the streamer.
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