Michigan’s Muslim Democrat Senate candidate, Abdul El-Sayed, declined during a campaign stop Tuesday to denounce Hasan Piker’s past comments and defended the popular anti-America/anti-Israel streamer’s place in the Democrat Party, despite attacks from the center-left.
In an interview with Politico, while standing next to Piker, El-Sayed said he believes it’s “critical” that Democrats embrace Piker, who has drawn criticism from both Democrats and Republicans not only over his Islamic terrorist-supporting views, but also his defamatory comments about Israel, Jews, and U.S. foreign policy, including from El-Sayed’s two most formidable opponents, Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) and Democratic state Senator Mallory McMorrow, who called Piker “somebody who says extremely offensive things in order to generate clicks.”
Piker said on his livestream that “America deserved 9/11.” In the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, Piker strongly condemned the Israeli response in Gaza and has disparaged the government in terms some Jews and supporters of Israel have labeled antisemitic. Asked if he would disavow any of Piker’s views, El-Sayed said attempts to pin Piker’s past comments to him amounted to a “gotcha game.”
Even CNN condemned Hasan Piker’s statements:
CNN’s @DanaBashCNN: “Hasan Piker is excusing sexual violence by Hamas terrorists. He also claims Hamas is, quote, ‘a thousand times better than Israel.’ Hamas is a designated terror organization, not just by the U.S., but by the EU, Canada, Australia, New Zealand.” pic.twitter.com/Z0QKorD8Uz
— Bobby LaValley (@Bobby_LaVallley) April 8, 2026
FOX News El-Sayed’s top two rivals for the nomination have blasted his scheduled appearance with Piker, which was announced less than two weeks after a man rammed his truck into a Michigan synagogue, wounding a guard in what authorities said was a targeted act of domestic terrorism against the Jewish community.
“It is unacceptable for a candidate wanting to represent all Michiganders to campaign with Hasan Piker, a person who is unapologetic about a career of making hurtful and anti-Semitic comments,” Rep. Haley Stevens said in a statement. “With all that’s at stake in this election, we should be focused on the challenges Michiganders are facing and how to fight for them.”
In the wake of the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack that incited Israel’s war with Gaza, Piker described Hamas, a terrorist organization, as the “lesser of two evils” in the conflict.
EXCLUSIVE:
🚨 Democrat Rep. Summer Lee, Muslim Michigan US Senate candidate Abdul El Sayed @AbdulElSayed and Hasan Piker caught on camera talking about how they are proud to have been one of the few people who refused to condemn the October 7th Hamas terrorist attacks! 🚨
On… https://t.co/BcYcff8aOJ pic.twitter.com/05vfLlBnjM
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) April 7, 2026
Once, when asked if he supported terrorism, Piker answered by saying, “No, I don’t support the state of Israel, and I don’t support the state of the United States of America.” He also faced backlash for praising the “brave” “mujahideen” who injured Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, who lost an eye in Afghanistan:
“What the f-ck is wrong with this dude? Didn’t he go to war and like literally lose his eye because some mujahideen — a brave f-cking Muslim soldier—f-cked his eye hole with their dick?” Piker said.
Here’s the video of @hasanthehun saying “America deserved 9/11.” https://t.co/bIeB3Wuqn7 pic.twitter.com/Cf3co4BVqc
— Loomer Unleashed (@LoomerUnleashed) March 26, 2026
El-Sayed says he opposes efforts by the state of Oklahoma to ban Sharia Law, comparing the ban to the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and the Trail of Tears against Native American nations.
Let’s be clear about what the Oklahoma sharia ban does and doesn’t do:
It does not ban Islam. It does not restrict religious belief or worship. It does not target Muslims as people. What it does is reaffirm a foundational principle of a free constitutional republic: there is one civil legal system, grounded in the Constitution, and it applies equally to everyone. Religious freedom in the United States is expansive—but it is not unlimited. The First Amendment protects belief and practice, not the imposition of religious law as a substitute for civil authority. A nation cannot remain free if it permits parallel legal systems that subordinate constitutional rights to religious doctrine—no matter the religion.
A death warrant is justified here