El-Sayed Tries To Sidestep Furor Over Hasan Piker’s Al Qaeda Comments — Says He’s More Concerned About Trump’s ‘Dangerous Policies’

Democratic Senate nominee in Michigan, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, is trying to put daylight between himself and firebrand Twitch streamer Hasan Piker — despite having him appear on the campaign trail during the primary — after Piker made a radical claim that America is worse than al Qaeda. Mr. Piker sat down for an interview with Axios and made provocative comments about America’s foreign policy and military operations. The full interview is scheduled to be released on Friday. In an excerpt of the interview, Axios’ Alex Thompson asked the streamer if he believes America is worse than al Qaeda.“Pound for pound as far as the number of deaths, yes, we’ve caused tremendous terror all around the world,” Mr. Piker said, referring to America’s military operations. Clarified that he does not believe that “all Americans are terrorists.”Dr. El-Sayed sought to distance himself from Mr. Piker’s comments, telling Axios, “I do not agree with this statement [about al-Qaeda], nor do I give much weight to the statements made by a social media streamer.”“I am more concerned with the dangerous policies of Donald Trump and Mike Rogers that are raising the prices of gas, groceries, and healthcare for Michiganders,” he said. Mr. Piker has a history of inflammatory rhetoric. In 2019, he said that America “deserved” the 9/11 terrorist attacks and he has accused Israel of carrying out genocide. His commentary has received heightened scrutiny because of his connection to high-profile Democrats such as Dr. El-Sayed and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Mr. Piker has urged his viewers to back left-wing candidates, and has appeared at campaign rallies for Dr. El-Sayed and helped fundraise for a failed Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Wisconsin, Francesca Hong. On Tuesday, reporters asked Dr. El-Sayed if he thinks Democrats need to disavow Mr. Piker.“This conversation is so far removed from what people are talking about,” Dr. El-Sayed said. “I’ve been all over Michigan, you know what nobody asked me? That question. Y’all like to ask me.”Democrats have tried to dodge questions about Mr. Piker. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell told reporters last month that she does not want reporters to ask her about him again, saying, “It’s not what November is about.” Dr. El-Sayed has tried to distance himself from the left-wing commentator, though he made multiple appearances on Mr. Piker’s show in the past. Mr. Piker also told Semafor that the Senate hopeful asked him to stump for him during the campaign.

El-Sayed Tries To Sidestep Furor Over Hasan Piker’s Al Qaeda Comments — Says He’s More Concerned About Trump’s ‘Dangerous Policies’

El-Sayed Tries To Sidestep Furor Over Hasan Piker’s Al Qaeda Comments — Says He’s More Concerned About Trump’s ‘Dangerous Policies’

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