Slotkin Responds to Piker’s Criticism

Michigan Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin pushed back after left-wing streamer Hasan Piker took issue with her decision to guest on Bill Maher’s traditional show instead of his Twitch livestream.

“I’ve mentioned before that anti-Semitism and Islamophobia need to be called out, and that’s what I aimed to do when he visited Michigan State,” Slotkin explained in an interview. “There are plenty of invitations I didn’t get, and every politician has to make their own choices,” she added.

When questioned about Piker’s comments, Slotkin cited his “derogatory” remarks about Orthodox Jews and his past statement implying that America “deserved 9/11” as particularly problematic.

Slotkin remarked, “He labels me ‘stupid’ nearly every week. So, would an average person choose to appear on a show where they’re called ‘stupid’ every ten days? I certainly wouldn’t.”

She claimed she was “never invited” to Piker’s content, which led to further backlash, including from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). The organization criticized her for her appearance on Maher’s show, urging him to apologize for his “long history of anti-Muslim bigotry.”

The comments from the Michigan Democratic Party came after a contentious rally featuring Piker and Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed. During this event, Piker referenced Slotkin’s name while speaking with a reporter.

In his own comments, Piker mentioned a perceived “double standard” in American politics, particularly regarding Islamophobia. He accused Maher of not only being Islamophobic but also exhibiting anti-Blackness at various times, suggesting that his alignment with the political establishment made participation in Maher’s show unwelcome.

Piker garnered attention in 2019 for saying, “America deserved 9/11.” Fox News Digital reached out for his comments but did not receive a response.