El-Sayed Rebukes 3rd Piker Question, Shifting Michigan Senate Race to Prices and Healthcare
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 18
El-Sayed Rebukes 3rd Piker Question, Shifting Michigan Senate Race to Prices and Healthcare
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 18
Summary
Sept. 13 on CBS's "Face the Nation," Abdul El-Sayed snapped at a third question about Hasan Piker, saying Michigan voters were asking about gas, groceries, healthcare and the environment instead.
The frustration follows months of scrutiny over El-Sayed's ties to the Twitch streamer, whom he has campaigned with and defended as a way to reach voters who feel shut out of politics.
After winning Michigan's Democratic Senate primary in August, El-Sayed kept refusing to fully disavow Piker, repeating in CNN and NBC interviews that he was focused on voters rather than campaign surrogates.
Pressure intensified after Piker's Aug. 20 comments about American Jews and Israel drew bipartisan condemnation; El-Sayed answered with a statement denouncing antisemitism but still avoided a direct break.
The episode leaves El-Sayed trying to recenter his general-election message on kitchen-table issues while his handling of Piker remains a recurring test with media and some Jewish voters.