Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed issued a statement Thursday distancing himself from comments made by Hasan Piker, a Twitch streamer who campaigned for El-Sayed during his primary, after Piker told Axios that the United States is worse than al-Qaeda “pound for pound” in terms of deaths caused.
The remarks came during an episode of “The Axios Show,” in which Piker was asked whether he believed America was worse than the terrorist group responsible for the September 11 attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people.
“Pound for pound as far as the number of deaths, yes. We have caused tremendous terror all around the world.”
Piker pointed to an alleged missile strike on an elementary school at Shajarah Tayyebeh, Iran, on February 28 as evidence for his claim. Details of that strike have come almost exclusively from Iranian sources.
“If you’re killing 140 schoolgirls, that is an act of terror. This doesn’t mean that all Americans are terrorists, but the reality of the matter is we have to create an environment of accountability to ensure things like that never happen again.”
El-Sayed, who is running against Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers, responded with a statement to Axios seeking to put distance between himself and Piker.
“I do not agree with this statement [on 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.”
Piker’s comments are consistent with statements he has made publicly in the past. In 2019, he said, “America deserved 9/11, dude. F*** it, I’m saying it.”
Rogers criticized El-Sayed over his past association with Piker at a recent GOP midterm convention, saying: “Abdul El-Sayed has chosen Hasan as his running mate. Together, they attack America, excuse extremism, and treat our country like the villain.”
Piker actively campaigned for El-Sayed during the Democratic primary. El-Sayed’s campaign has not addressed why it is now characterizing Piker as merely “a social media streamer” after previously working alongside him to reach voters.
Add comment