El-Sayed Apologizes for 'Hurt People' Synagogue Remark

El-Sayed told the Jewish caucus, "I made a mistake. I should have issued a statement, of course condemning it, and it just should have been the full stop," the Examiner reported. He also said "no one deserves to have their pain trampled on," and told the New York Times, "If my statement caused pain, I'm sorry. That's not what I intended."

To reporters he added: "We condemned that terrorist attack. We condemned it outright. What I was trying to do is offer context for why it happened, but it wasn't the time for context. And you don't ever want to trample somebody's pain."

Rogers, his Republican opponent, was unmoved. "Abdul has had six months to apologize for his incredibly horrific remarks regarding the Temple Israel attack," Rogers said Saturday. "Instead, he chose to surround himself with terrorist sympathizers and some of the most notable antisemites in the country. It's too little, too late, Abdul." Rogers also accused El-Sayed of "trying to con Michiganders into thinking his beliefs have changed."

Jewish Democrats in the room told CNN they took the apology as sincere. "That was the first time that I've heard him say it in that explicit way," said Daniel Rivkin, a University of Michigan communications staffer and convention delegate from Ann Arbor. "I think there's a lot of dialogue going on, and that the dialogue will continue."

Pressed on whether he needs to further separate himself from Piker, El-Sayed told CNN: "We're in the state of Michigan. If you want to make this race about a streamer in California, I just think you're missing the boat."