El-Sayed on Hasan Piker: “If Folks Want To Make This About A Streamer In California, They’re Welcome To Do That”
In an interview with MS NOW’s Katy Tur, Michigan Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate Abdul El-Sayed addresses criticism of his association with Hasan Piker.
KATY TUR, MS NOW: So if you have Jewish voters in Michigan, I’ll say [Attorney General] Dana Nessel is one of them, who are worried about your association with Hassan Piker, why keep them so close? Or why not fully disassociate yourself with him, especially when Michigan is so tight? Elissa Slotkin only won by 22,000 votes. ABDUL EL-SAYED, DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE FOR U.S. SENATE So let me speak to a couple of points here. Number one, I endorsed the vice president on the day after she became the nominee. I did not agree with the administration’s position on Gaza, but I understood that Donald Trump would be worse. So I am calling on leaders from all of the communities under the Democratic umbrella to recognize that Mike Rogers is an existential threat to everything we believe in when it comes to our democracy. Number two, this campaign is not about a streamer in California. This campaign is about affordability in Michigan. This campaign is about the ability to have healthcare in Michigan. TUR: The streamer in California does campaign with a lot of Democrats, so he’s not just a streamer. EL-SAYED: This campaign is about the challenges Michiganders face. And I get that in the media, it’s a lot easier to pick up one person and be like, this is what this is about. But this is why a lot of people get so frustrated about politics and political media, because it doesn’t actually speak to the challenges they face. Look, I did a whole interview- TUR: It’s not just the media, and I reject that framing. It’s six in ten Americans don’t know who he is. EL-SAYED: Exactly. TUR: I’m not saying he’s the most important person in the world, but when you have a state like Michigan, where again, Elissa Slotkin only won by 22,000 votes, is it worth potentially losing the few votes you need to win? EL-SAYED: Ten in ten Americans agree that they can’t afford the things that they need in their lives. So if folks want to make this about a streamer in California, they’re welcome to do that. But I’m focused on Donald Trump. I’m focused on addressing the affordability crisis. I’m focused on getting you healthcare. And that’s what I’m going to stay focused on.
