Michigan’s Democrat U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed was pressed on whether he would campaign with Socialist streamer Hasan Piker, who has said that “America Deserved 9/11.”
El-Sayed tried to avoid the question until NBC’s Kristen Welker asked him repeatedly whether he would continue campaigning with Piker.
“Like I said, I’m a lot more focused on who I’m campaigning to,” El-Sayed said. “I think we have this notion sometimes on shows like this that we cannot or should not talk to certain groups of people.”And I’ll tell you that the three million people who listen to Hasan are people I want to make sure understand that there’s a pathway into our politics around getting money out of politics so we can get money back in pockets and pass Medicare for All. And so I’m going to continue to have the conversations with those folks who we desperately need to reach out.”
El-Sayed wanted to benefit from Piker’s followers, but the Senate hopeful disavowed the comment and said that it was “a dumb statement.”
“Of course, of course,” El-Sayed said. “It was a dumb statement. And, of course, I think Hasan, himself, would say that was a dumb statement. He disavowed it. So yes. America didn’t deserve 9/11. But, you know, to sit here and play gotcha politics with a dumb thing somebody said out of context, that they disavowed themselves, to say, ‘Oh, well, what does that mean about what you think?’ I want to be held accountable for what I say and what I do rather than this idea that we’re so stuck in cancel culture that all of us agreed was a bad idea back in 2020, but we seem to want to bring back.”
NBC: Hasan Piker has said "America deserved 9/11," do you plan to continue to campaign with him?
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 9, 2026
EL-SAYED: "I'm less concerned now with who I'm campaigning with..."
NBC: "Would you welcome him though?"
EL-SAYED: "I'm a lot more focused on who I'm campaigning to." pic.twitter.com/2kyYIyNic7
Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed says his campaign spokesperson Hasan Piker saying "America deserved 9/11" is just some "dumb thing somebody said out of context."
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 9, 2026
What is wrong with him? pic.twitter.com/0SHdav1nrh
Abdul El-Sayed tries these cute little pivots from questions he doesn’t want
— James David Dickson (@downi75) August 9, 2026
Over time, this reads like a college freshman answering the question he wished he’d been asked…because it worked as a high school senior
Abdul has very little runway where he will not look, sound bad https://t.co/hw9Woi5PQe
In a separate interview, Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) dodged a question about whether Hasan Piker belongs in the Democrat Party.
“When we look at our elections that have happened, we have lost young people,” AOC told ABC. “Much hay was made about the fact that we lost young men in the last election. And many of the same consultants that are wringing their hands today were the same ones talking about how we need to go on Joe Rogan, and we need to be not so willing to engage in cancel culture.”
AOC dodges when asked if there is room for Hasan Piker in her party.
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 9, 2026
ABC: Hasan Piker endorsed Abdul El-Sayed, you've been on his livestream, he's said "America deserved 9/11," should he have a roll in the progressive movement going forward?
AOC: "We have lost young people..." pic.twitter.com/1Qr0WUNsvD
Editor’s Note: Do you enjoy Townhall’s conservative reporting that takes on the radical Left and woke media? Support our work so that we can continue to bring you the truth.
Join Townhall VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the Conversation
VIP members get the ability to comment on articles.