Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed reportedly called Twitch streamer Hasan Piker and asked him to tone down his rhetoric, telling him it was costing El-Sayed votes, according to a CNN report published Wednesday by reporter Edward-Isaac Dovere.
Dovere wrote that El-Sayed made the call as Piker’s comments about Israel drew growing controversy. “El-Sayed recently called Piker and warned his rhetoric was costing El-Sayed votes, asking him to stop, according to two people El-Sayed told about the conversation,” Dovere reported. Piker declined to comment on the matter.
El-Sayed campaigned with Piker during the primary, but has since worked to put distance between himself and the streamer, who has a history of making controversial remarks, including suggesting America “deserved” the Sept. 11 attacks.
The shift came after Piker made comments in August that appeared to blame American Jews for antisemitic attacks because of their support for Israel. “If Jews in America keep putting this idea out there that they are singularly invested in Israel, eventually someone is going to come around and take action, not against the state of Israel, mind you, but against American Jews,” Piker said during one of his streams.
El-Sayed has repeatedly said he does not agree with all of Piker’s views, but had previously declined to disavow his comments. Since August, he has said he has no plans to appear with Piker again and has pushed back on the idea that his campaign has any connection to the streamer.
“The question is not about a relationship I got with a streamer in California. There’s not a relationship. The reason I have a conversation with him is the same reason I have a conversation with you. Because I want to talk to the folks out here who I want to have a conversation with. Do you think that you’re better off now after two years of [President] Donald Trump?” El-Sayed said Monday on Fox News’ “The Story with Martha MacCallum.”
Fox News Digital said it reached out to both El-Sayed’s campaign and Piker for comment on the CNN report.
