ElSayed distances self from Piker's remarks on Jewish Americans

Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul ElSayed sought to distance himself Monday from prominent progressive commentator Hasan Piker after Piker suggested that pro-Israel rhetoric from American Jews could lead to violent backlash against them. The controversy has created a political headache for ElSayed as he pivots from a hard-fought primary to the general election in a key battleground state.

The backlash stems from comments Piker made during a livestream last week. While discussing a manipulated audio clip of Michigan state Sen. Jeremy Moss, a Jewish Democrat running for Congress, Piker argued against the idea that opposing Israel is antisemitic. He stated that if American Jews continue to present themselves as singularly invested in Israel, "eventually someone is going to come around and take action, not against the state of Israel mind you, but against American Jews."

Piker, a left-wing streamer with a large online following, endorsed ElSayed and campaigned with him during the primary. In response to the growing criticism, ElSayed issued a statement on social media Monday. "I believe all Americans deserve the right to advocate for what they believe without fear of...