Michigan Senate Candidate Abdul El-Sayed Faces Manufactured Outrage Over 9/11 Post and Guilt by Association
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Progressive Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed is under fire from right-wing critics after posting a thoughtful 9/11 remembrance. Reactionaries have seized on his association with outspoken leftist streamer Hasan Piker, weaponizing old comments to smear El-Sayed and distract from real issues.
Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in Michigan, posted a message on X commemorating the September 11 attacks, highlighting how the tragedy targeted 'the idea of America' and honoring the lives lost. Predictably, a wave of right-wing backlash followed, with social media users dredging up El-Sayed’s past association with progressive commentator Hasan Piker, who has previously criticized U.S. foreign policy and controversially suggested the country 'deserved' the attacks—a sentiment rooted in anti-imperialist critique, not malice.
Conservative pundits and political operatives wasted no time in distorting the narrative, accusing El-Sayed of endorsing Piker’s remarks. One commentator circulated a photo of the two together, cherry-picking Piker’s statements to stoke outrage, while a Republican Senate committee spokesperson baselessly claimed El-Sayed was 'unwilling to disavow' the streamer. A GOP consultant labeled the association 'dishonesty,' and a right-wing media co-founder cynically questioned El-Sayed’s electability, all in an attempt to undermine a progressive challenger.
El-Sayed responded by clarifying that he does not share all of Piker’s views and reaffirmed that his campaign’s messaging is his own. He called for a focus on substantive issues—gas prices, groceries, education, and health care—instead of manufactured controversies about a streamer’s comments.
An investigative reporter noted that El-Sayed’s 9/11 statement did not mention the disastrous wars that followed, a rare omission for the candidate who often critiques U.S. militarism. El-Sayed later reiterated his opposition to ongoing violence in the Middle East, connecting current conflicts to the broader cycles of violence and retaliation perpetuated by imperialist policies.