Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Michigan, recently phoned streamer Hasan Piker to warn him that his rhetoric is costing El-Sayed votes, according to CNN.
If accurate, the call is the clearest sign yet that El-Sayed sees his best-known supporter as a problem. For months he has refused to say so in public.
Piker, a far-left Twitch streamer with millions of followers, campaigned alongside El-Sayed through the Democratic primary, including on the eve of the vote in August. His record includes saying in 2019 that America deserved 9/11, and saying in April that he "would vote for Hamas over Israel every single time."
El-Sayed has tried to have it both ways. Early in the campaign he said it was not his job to disavow people's views. After winning the nomination he called the 9/11 remark a "dumb statement" on NBC, while brushing off the questions as cancel culture. In late August he told Semafor he had "no plans" to campaign with Piker again. His explanation throughout has been that three million people listen to Piker and he wants their votes.
Piker has not made it easy. He told his audience that El-Sayed's distancing was not sincere. More recently he told Axios that the United States is, pound for pound, worse than al-Qaeda.
Fellow Democrats have run out of patience. "I want Hasan Piker to go away!" Rep. Debbie Dingell said on CNN, adding that El-Sayed must make clear he does not agree with him.
Republicans are happy to keep the two together. "He can't distance himself from Hasan Piker at all," said Mike Rogers, the former congressman who is El-Sayed's Republican opponent.
El-Sayed has called Israel's campaign in Gaza a genocide and wants to end unconditional military aid to Israel. AIPAC spent nearly $32 million trying to defeat him in the primary.
The race is rated a toss-up. Michigan's last Senate contest, in 2024, was decided by about 22,000 votes. Early voting opens on October 24.
