Abdul El-Sayed, who won Michigan’s Democratic U.S. Senate primary on August 4, 2026, says he opposes antisemitism, yet he repeatedly chooses to campaign with Hasan Piker, whose record goes well beyond ordinary criticism of Israel.
So why does El-Sayed keep campaigning with him?
Piker isn’t controversial because he once criticized Benjamin Netanyahu or questioned Israeli policy. Plenty of people do that.
We’re talking about a guy who has called Orthodox Jews “inbred,” called Zionism a “mental illness,” generated controversy over his comments about Hamas and October 7—and once famously declared:
“America deserved 9/11, dude.”
Piker later called his 9/11 wording “inappropriate” and said it was intended as satire and criticism of American foreign policy. I call BS. He only backtracked on his outrageous comment after it received massive public attention and condemnation. Trying to weasel out of an outrageous statement doesn’t magically erase it. In fact, it raises questions about the ugly and insidious thinking behind the original statement.
And this week—after winning Michigan’s Democratic Senate nomination—El-Sayed was again asked whether he would continue working with Piker. He didn’t give a straight answer, even as he continued celebrating with Piker.
El-Sayed has every right to criticize Israel. He has every right to oppose U.S. military aid to Israel. And criticism of Israel is not automatically antisemitism. But anti-Zionism can sometimes become a subtle and convenient hiding place for bigotry.
El-Sayed also has a choice about whom he puts beside him on a campaign stage, and if he continues to cozy up to Piker, that should be disqualifying to anyone with a lick of common sense and decency.
Jesus put it pretty simply:
“Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” — Matthew 7:20 (KJV)
If a Republican Senate candidate repeatedly campaigned alongside someone with an ugly history of remarks about Jews, Muslims, or Black Americans, would the media reasonably ask why?
Of course they would, and of course they have. So why should the standard change here?
Antisemitism is wrong. Anti-Muslim hatred is wrong. Racism is wrong. And deliberately looking the other way because somebody can deliver votes is wrong too.
Your friends don’t automatically define you—but choosing to repeatedly give someone your stage tells us something about your judgment and may tell us something about the biases you’re willing to tolerate.
Because sometimes the biggest red flag isn’t what a politician says—it’s whom he’s unwilling to walk away from.