Michigan Democrat Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed did an interview with Katy Tur on MS NOW, likely thinking he'd get a complete pass on MS NOW. But even she asked the obvious question hanging in the air.
She asked him if you have Jewish voters in Michigan who are worried about his association with Hasan Piker, "Why keep him so close? Or why not fully disassociate from him? Especially when Michigan is so tight." She mentioned the likely tight nature of the race, how Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) barely won her race.
Katy Tur: "Jewish voters are worried about your association with Hasan Piker. Why keep him so close?"
— Kyle Martinsen (@KyleMartinsen_) August 28, 2026
El-Sayed: "This campaign is not about a streamer from California"
Tur continues to press him, but he refuses to disavow Piker pic.twitter.com/fTcKDDGVhT
El-Sayed first attacks his Republican opponent Mike Rogers, calling him an "existential threat." Obviously, a lot of Democrats reject that since they're concerned about El-Sayed and are fleeing to Rogers.
"This campaign is not about a streamer from California," El-Sayed insisted, attacking the media for continuing to press him on it. But he made it about Piker by campaigning with him, and even now, still not fully disassociating. He wants to attack the media for a problem he created, and even Tur said she rejected that characterization. El-Sayed was doing the same thing he did during his Fox interview with Jesse Watters: deflecting and not really answering the question. Every time he refuses the question, he makes it more about Piker.
El-Sayed had problems elsewhere in the interview as well.
Sounds like he overstudied the talking points here, because this didn't make a lot of sense.
ABDUL EL-SAYED: "Donald Trump and JD Vance want to make this race about them and their polices because this race is about them and their policies."
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 28, 2026
Insightful. pic.twitter.com/kBZm9Rprhs
"Donald Trump and JD Vance want to make this race about them, and their policies, because this race is about them and their policies." Alrighty, now. I guess that means the policies are good.
I think there's also a sort of quietly hilarious underpinning of why he keeps trying to attack Vice President JD Vance and his family. Maybe he believes he's going to win his Senate race, and then run for president in 2028 against Vance. I think he's that full of himself. It ain't happening.
Hilariously, El-Sayed also thought he would be helpful to the Democrat Iowa Senate candidate, Josh Turek, if he campaigned with him.
Abdul El-Sayed wants to campaign with Iowa Democrat Josh Turek:
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 28, 2026
"That sounds like a lot of fun...Josh, hey, if you're game?" pic.twitter.com/tIjjWTjOXd
The Iowa GOP laughed at that, offering to pay for the flight, knowing that would not help Turek.
.@AbdulElSayed—DM us we’ll pay for your flight! ❤️✈️ https://t.co/CaclayQWmj
— Iowa GOP (@IowaGOP) August 28, 2026
El-Sayed was also desperately trying to clean up his criticism of football, which could hurt him in a state like Michigan where football is important.
Abdul El-Sayed - who thinks football is racist - just MALFUNCTIONED trying to talk about Michigan football.
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 28, 2026
EL-SAYED: "It's about to be football season...I can't wait to uh beat Ohio...and let's just remember JD Vance...Ohio JD Vance..." pic.twitter.com/zFHl1IssNz
"I tell you what I'm excited about. It's about to be football season," El-Sayed asserted. "I can't wait to beat Ohio...and let's just remember JD Vance...Ohio JD Vance...is coming to Michigan next week."
That had some thinking that he didn't understand that the big rivalry was with Ohio State and laughing at him, so that also didn't go over well.
The more he speaks, the worse he makes things for himself.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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