The Democratic Party’s ideological divide burst into public view again this week after Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez celebrated Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed’s Senate primary victory—setting off a bruising online battle between progressives and pro-Israel Democrats.
El-Sayed’s upset victory over establishment-backed Rep. Haley Stevens was already being viewed as a major win for the Democratic Party’s progressive wing. Backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, AOC and left-wing streamer Hasan Piker, El-Sayed overcame a massive fundraising disadvantage to capture the nomination and advance to a November showdown with Republican Mike Rogers.
After the victory, Ocasio-Cortez praised El-Sayed on social media, celebrating the win as another victory for the progressive movement.
That post quickly drew criticism from Fred Guttenberg, the Parkland father who has become a prominent Democratic gun-control activist and outspoken supporter of Israel.
Guttenberg argued Democrats should not celebrate a candidate he believes has aligned himself with figures who have promoted antisemitic rhetoric, pointing specifically to El-Sayed’s relationship with Hasan Piker and other activists sharply critical of Israel.
What followed was an all-out social media brawl.
I appreciate AIPAC proving it doesn’t belong in the Dem Party and especially our primaries.
From endorsing Jan 6th members to ensuring Congress remains in the hands of a 34-count felon, AIPAC is an org committed to undermining democracy at home and abroad.
See you in November. https://t.co/EKpNSaxcv3
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) August 5, 2026
I am a Democrat. @AOC, I have personally worked with you. I am also a supporter of Israel and reject your characterization of AIPAC. I find your comments reprehensible, and while they might work with your DSA friends, pushing the party away from people like me won’t work. We… https://t.co/pM5wyr3KIp
— Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) August 5, 2026
Progressive activists and Democratic Socialists rushed to defend El-Sayed while turning their fire on Guttenberg. As the exchanges escalated, journalists, political commentators and activists from multiple factions of the Democratic coalition piled into the dispute, transforming what began as a congratulatory post into another flashpoint in the party’s growing internal conflict over Israel, Gaza and the future direction of the Democratic Party. Here is just a small sample:
The fight reflects tensions that have been building for months.
El-Sayed repeatedly defended his decision to campaign alongside Hasan Piker despite criticism from moderates, Jewish organizations and centrist Democratic groups that accused Piker of promoting antisemitic and anti-American rhetoric. El-Sayed rejected demands to distance himself, arguing critics were engaging in “cancel culture” rather than debating ideas.
Those divisions have only deepened since Tuesday’s primary.
Veteran strategist James Carville has warned that the Democratic Party risks losing moderate voters if it embraces figures like Piker, while Bernie Sanders recently defended the party’s progressive movement and suggested critics unhappy with its direction should “start [their] own party.”
With El-Sayed now carrying the Democratic banner into one of the country’s most competitive Senate races, Republicans are already highlighting his ties to Piker and other controversial progressive figures as they seek to define the general election.
