“Fox & Friends” co-host Lawrence Jones clashed with former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Tuesday morning, demanding he answer for an antisemitic ad run in support of Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed.
Buttigieg, who lives in Traverse City, Michigan, joined the program on Election Day to discuss the midterms, including the closely watched Senate race between El-Sayed and Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers.
Asked about the contest, Buttigieg said the main concern among his relatives in Michigan was “affordability and the cost of living.”
Jones then turned to Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., who stunned her party on Sunday by withdrawing her endorsement of El-Sayed and backing Rogers instead. Jones said voters “are following the candidate that narrowly lost in the primary,” pointing to the razor-thin margin and Stevens’ objections to antisemitic comments.
Buttigieg tried to steer the conversation back to affordability, acknowledging that “Fox & Friends” had pointed out earlier that antisemitism was a “problem” on both sides of the aisle.
That’s when Jones cut him off.
“Excuse me. I can’t — I can’t approach this conversation in good faith after we just had an antisemitic campaign ad by Hasan Piker’s uncle ran for your candidate,” Jones said.
“Address that!” he demanded.
“Abdul rejected that ad,” Buttigieg replied. “It’s that simple.”
Jones then wrapped the interview as “America’s Newsroom” with Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino began.
The ad at the center of the dispute was produced by Rebellion PAC, a group founded by The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur, the uncle of left-wing streamer Hasan Piker, who joined some El-Sayed campaign events during the primary.
The spot features a couple in a grocery store debating whether they can afford eggs and bananas, before one says they have to set aside “$7” for “killing Palestinians.” It ends by attacking Rogers and declaring, “Abdul El-Sayed is for you.”
The ad was repurposed from one made for Uygur’s 2024 presidential campaign. Former DNC Chair Jaime Harrison called it counterproductive, and a group of rabbis urged El-Sayed to disavow it.
El-Sayed’s campaign said the ad was “not affiliated in any way” with the campaign. El-Sayed later said, “I do not agree with the contents of that ad,” but critics noted he stopped short of explicitly condemning it.
Stevens had demanded El-Sayed reject the ad. Instead, the campaign told her to stay away from its events, and she endorsed Rogers less than 48 hours before polls opened.
El-Sayed defeated Stevens by about 1 percentage point in the August primary. The seat is open following the retirement of Democratic Sen. Gary Peters.
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