Hasan Piker has a message for Abdul El-Sayed as Dem tries to distance himself: You’re making a ‘mistake’

BS BULLETIN:

Hasan Piker says Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed is making a political “mistake” by distancing himself from the controversial streamer.
El-Sayed, who campaigned with Piker during the Democratic primary, now says Piker “wasn’t a big part” of his campaign.
Piker’s relationship with Democrats has come under renewed scrutiny following his latest inflammatory comments about America and al-Qaeda.

Abdul El-Sayed is trying to put some daylight between himself and Hasan Piker.

Hasan Piker apparently thinks that’s a mistake.

The left-wing streamer delivered that message as Michigan’s Democratic Senate nominee attempts to minimize their political relationship amid renewed controversy over Piker’s rhetoric.

“I think he is making a mistake with taking ownership over something that I think most voters understand is insincere,” Piker told Axios.

Piker acknowledged, however, that he has become a political lightning rod as El-Sayed heads toward a tight November Senate race against Republican Mike Rogers.

The comments come at an awkward moment for El-Sayed.

Piker campaigned with him during the Democratic primary, which El-Sayed ultimately won.

But Piker has since generated a new round of controversy, including telling Axios that “pound for pound” the United States was worse than al-Qaeda when discussing deaths caused by American actions overseas.

El-Sayed has rejected that comparison.

And on Friday’s “Morning Joe,” he tried to put the Piker relationship into perspective after Joe Scarborough challenged him for repeatedly referring to Piker simply as a California streamer.

“He wasn’t a big part of my campaign,” El-Sayed said. “We had him to Michigan once.”

Scarborough wasn’t entirely buying the characterization.

He pointed out that Piker had been actively involved in El-Sayed’s primary campaign and asked whether reducing him to merely “a California streamer” was disingenuous.

El-Sayed defended himself by arguing that candidates routinely appear with media personalities and political figures in order to reach their audiences.

He said Piker has said some things with which he agrees and others with which he disagrees.

El-Sayed also argued that Michigan voters he encounters are talking about issues such as gas and grocery prices — not Hasan Piker.

But Piker isn’t exactly helping El-Sayed make the controversy disappear.

Axios reports that Piker criticized El-Sayed’s effort to distance himself after another controversy erupted in August over comments Piker made about American Jews and Israel.

Piker now says El-Sayed’s response amounts to taking ownership of something voters recognize as politically motivated.

He also indicated he is unlikely to return to the campaign trail for El-Sayed before Election Day.

Meanwhile, the political pressure surrounding the relationship continues to grow.

Even some Democrats are acknowledging the problem.

Former Biden White House adviser Yemisi Egbewole said Friday that it is becoming increasingly difficult for El-Sayed to separate himself from Piker because he previously welcomed the streamer onto the campaign trail.

“The problem for Abdul and a lot of progressives that have campaigned and openly welcomed Hasan is that they now have to take into account” Piker’s years of controversial statements, Egbewole said during a Fox News panel.

Piker, meanwhile, doesn’t appear interested in abandoning electoral politics.

He separately told Axios he would “absolutely” like to campaign for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez if she runs for president in 2028 and said he has already spoken with AOC and her team.

That leaves El-Sayed in an increasingly uncomfortable position.