Democratic Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed addressed criticism on Sunday regarding his association with far-left streamer Hasan Piker, specifically concerning Piker’s remarks about 9/11. El-Sayed termed the comments as “dumb,” but emphasized that the nation is “stuck” in cancel culture.
During an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Kristen Welker asked El-Sayed if he would welcome Piker on the campaign trail. El-Sayed has previously campaigned with Piker, who also attended his victory party after defeating moderate Haley Stevens in the state’s Senate primary. Piker had urged Democrats opposing El-Sayed to face consequences.
When Welker pressed El-Sayed on Piker’s 9/11 comments, noting that Senator Bernie Sanders had criticized them as well, El-Sayed responded, “Of course it was a dumb statement and, of course, I think Hasan himself would say that was a dumb statement. He disavowed it. America didn’t deserve 9/11.” He criticized “gotcha politics” and the trend of cancel culture.
Senator Sanders also commented on the issue earlier, calling Piker’s statements “dumb,” but defended the streamer’s right to inclusion within the Democratic Party. Sanders pointed to the excessive focus on cancel culture, acknowledging that public speaking can sometimes lead to misguided remarks.
Jonathan Alpert, a psychotherapist and author, remarked to Fox News Digital that invoking cancel culture felt like evasion. He noted, “El-Sayed clearly knows Hasan Piker’s 9/11 comments were a problem. He called them dumb, but then deflected to cancel culture when questioned about their association.” Alpert explained that while criticism can be harsh, challenging a candidate’s judgment is valid and not merely cancel culture.