Abdul El-Sayed Responds to Criticism Over Hug with Hasan Piker
During a recent episode of “CNN This Morning,” Democratic Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed addressed backlash regarding his embrace of Hasan Piker following the Temple Israel attack. He stated, “Any anti-Semitic act is wrong and has no place in our politics or our society. But what really frustrates people is that when we discuss the mass murder of children, it’s hard to ignore that this massacre was funded by our tax dollars. I find it perplexing that it took two years to talk about Gaza.”
Presenter Audie Cornish brought up previous comments by El-Sayed’s opponent, Mallory McMorrow. She criticized El-Sayed’s acceptance of Piker’s endorsement, pointing out the timing of the hug right after the tragic synagogue event. Cornish noted, “She mentioned that this might be one of the largest mass murders of children in this country’s history. It seems to be a different matter when someone endorses your campaign compared to simply joining a stream and addressing your audience.”
El-Sayed reiterated his condemnation of the Temple Israel attack, emphasizing that anti-Semitism has no place in society. However, he expressed his frustration about the lack of discussion surrounding the mass killings of children overseas, suggesting that U.S. funding played a role in such tragedies. “We spent money on actions that harmed children abroad, and that’s money not spent on the kids in Wayne County, Detroit, whom I care about,” he remarked.
Cornish then probed further about the implications of the hug, asking if he believed people were overreacting or underreacting. El-Sayed replied, “This situation is quite absurd. Hasan Piker was invited to livestream for the Democratic National Committee for 2024. We had extensive discussions over whether the vice president should participate. Making connections shouldn’t be viewed so narrowly. I interact with a diverse group, and should I have vetted everyone before speaking? That approach to politics seems rather misguided.”
