Michigan Democrat Refuses to Disavow Streamer Hasan Piker
Michigan Democrat Refuses to Disavow Streamer Hasan Piker
The News
Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan, is refusing to condemn far-left streamer Hasan Piker, and the deflection has become a running problem for his party three months out from the midterms.
Newly circulated video shows El-Sayed seated beside Piker in a vehicle, brushing off calls to disavow him. "People play this game with us all the time," he says in the clip, reported by The Daily Wire on Wednesday.
On Thursday, Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan told reporters to stop asking her about Piker — a stance CNN's John Berman challenged on air with, "Why can't I ask you?"
Timeline
Video of El-Sayed defending his alliance with Piker circulates online. The Daily Wire reports the footage on Aug. 27, quoting El-Sayed saying he will not condemn Piker's remarks.
Townhall publishes video of El-Sayed deflecting a Q&A question about his relationship with Piker, reporting that he "is still refusing to disavow" the streamer.
Dingell's demand that reporters drop the subject draws immediate conservative mockery, as reported by Fox News and Yahoo News. Mediaite reports Berman pressing her on CNN over the refusal.
El-Sayed tells CBS News he has spoken with Jeremy Moss following Piker's comments, and argues that now is the time for Democrats to work together ahead of the 2026 midterm election.
The Jerusalem Post reports that El-Sayed and Rep. Jamie Raskin sidestepped questions about both Piker and Israel during Michigan campaign stops.
Reactions
El-Sayed's own framing, per Twitchy's account of the video, is that "condemning words isn't how this world works" — he has questioned why he should be expected to denounce a supporter at all.
Dingell wanted the topic closed. Berman's pushback on CNN — "Why can't I ask you?" — is the clip conservatives spent the day passing around.
The right treated it as a gift. Townhall wrote that "Democrats really want to stop talking about the guy they keep campaigning with." At WND, Larry Elder asked why Democrats won't denounce Piker by name, noting that Barack Obama and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have both appeared on Piker's stream.
Democrats are not united behind the silence. The National Desk reports that El-Sayed's "Piker problem" worries Democratic allies who think he has been unable to put enough distance between himself and the streamer.
What's Next
El-Sayed is the Democratic nominee in one of the marquee Senate races of the 2026 midterms, and the question is not going away: every Michigan campaign stop is now an opportunity for a reporter to ask it again.
Watch whether national Democrats campaigning in the state — Raskin was there this week — keep sidestepping, or whether one of them finally says Piker's name out loud.
More
The fight is about more than one streamer. As the Jerusalem Post framed it, the open question in Michigan's Senate race is how far the movement Piker represents can go toward remaking the Democratic Party's values.
Colleges Condemn Students Mocking Kirk Assassination Anniversary
Charleston White Arrested Again on Florida Battery Charge
Sep 13, 2026
Border Patrol Rescues MS NOW Crew in Desert
Sep 13, 2026
Supreme Court Restores Missouri's Old House Map
Sep 13, 2026
Alaska Drops Felony Voter Charges Against Samoans
Sep 13, 2026
Trespasser Breaches Harris' Malibu Estate; No Arrest
Sep 12, 2026
Hegseth Pressed Downed Airmen Into 60 Minutes
Sep 12, 2026
Houthis Seize Mokha, Choking Saudi Oil Exports
Sep 12, 2026
Altman Rules Out OpenAI IPO This Year
Sep 12, 2026
Jury Acquits Lil Durk in Murder-for-Hire Case
Sep 12, 2026
Judge: Trump Broke Law Halving FEMA Staff
Sep 12, 2026
Maher Calls Democrats' Gaza Genocide Claim a Lie
Sep 12, 2026
Blizzard Revives StarCraft, Sends Diablo to Netflix
Sep 12, 2026
Trump's Queens Childhood Home Sells for $1.93M
Sep 12, 2026
Scientists Find New Virus in Tick Invading US
Sep 12, 2026
Britain Bans Settlement Imports; US States Threaten Payback
Sep 12, 2026
Prison Fire Kills 7 as Kurds Protest Killing
Sep 12, 2026
Kosovo Rallies for Ex-President Before Hague Verdict
Sep 12, 2026
Cruz Booed at GameDay Over College Sports Bill
Sep 12, 2026
Blast Hits Bulgarian Arms Plant Supplying Ukraine
Sep 12, 2026
Sep 13, 2026