Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed tried to turn the page on his ties to controversial streamer Hasan Piker Friday — but MS NOW host Katy Tur pushed back.
The candidate’s comments come just days after Piker suggested Jewish Americans are “making antisemitism worse” by voicing their support of Israel — a statement that drew harsh criticism from El-Sayed, who has appeared alongside Piker on the campaign trail.
“I believe all Americans deserve the right to advocate for what they believe without fear of violence. This is particularly true for communities that have been intimidated for their beliefs in the past,” El-Sayed said in a statement following Piker’s remarks.
EL-SAYED DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM HASAN PIKER AFTER DISTURBING REMARKS ABOUT JEWISH AMERICANS
He added that “Antisemitism is a scourge, and we need to address it in all its forms,” while promising to “stand against any rhetoric that puts the community at risk.”
“And while politicians and pundits try to make this race about a Twitch streamer, we’re going to be talking about gas, groceries, good schools and healthcare,” El-Sayed continued.
MICHIGAN DEMOCRAT DEMANDS REPORTERS STOP ASKING ‘ABOUT HASAN PIKER’ AHEAD OF SENATE RACE
On Friday’s “The Moment with Katy Tur,” El-Sayed appeared to continue his effort to distance himself from Piker in light of his controversial remarks.
“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 Hasan Piker. Why? Why keep him so close? Or why not fully disassociate yourself with him, especially when Michigan is so tight? Elissa Slotkin only won by 22,000 votes,” Tur asked.
According to Ballotpedia, Slotkin won by 19,000 votes.
“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,” El-Sayed said.
Tur pushed back, arguing the “streamer in California does campaign with a lot of Democrats. So he’s not just a streamer.”
HASAN PIKER IS BECOMING THE ‘FACE OF THE PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT,’ FORMER DEMOCRATIC OPERATIVE WARNS
El-Sayed appeared to continue distancing himself from Piker, despite Tur’s pushback.
“This campaign is about the challenges Michiganders face,” El-Sayed continued. “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.”
WISCONSIN DEMOCRAT DOWNPLAYS APPEARING ON HASAN PIKER’S SHOW, DOESN’T ‘ENDORSE’ EVERYTHING HE SAYS
The exchange continued, with Tur rejecting El-Sayed’s characterization of his public ties to Piker. “It’s not just the media, and I reject that framing,” Tur said. “It’s — six in 10 Americans don’t know who he is, and 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?”
“Ten in 10 Americans agree that they can’t afford the things that they need in their lives,” El-Sayed replied. “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.”
El-Sayed’s apparent distance himself from Piker drew criticism from Jason Mudd, CEO of Axia Public Relations, who told Fox News Digital his attempts to distance himself from Piker could do more harm than good to his campaign.
“Distancing yourself from someone’s comments rarely works,” Mudd said. “Owning your own position does. The moment a candidate argues about how close a relationship is, the audience stops listening to the substance and starts watching the deflection.”
“If this were my client, I would advise them to skip the minimizing and go straight to a clear, standalone statement: here’s what I believe, separate from what anyone else said,” Mudd continued. “Ambiguity is what keeps a story alive, not the original comment.”
Mudd added that El-Sayed’s strategy should be to double-down on his own campaign promises and personal beliefs, instead of just claiming he disagrees with Piker’s statements.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE
“The test isn’t whether a candidate can prove distance from a controversial figure,” Mudd told Fox News Digital. “It’s whether their own answer sounds confident, consistent, and complete the first time. Reporters don’t stop asking follow-up questions. Vague answers do.”
When reached for comment by Fox News Digital, a representative for El-Sayed pointed to a story in The Hill reporting that the candidate has “no plans” to campaign with Piker.
Fox News Digital reached out to Piker for comment.
