ESPN broadcaster Stephen A. Smith has warned that far-left streamer Hasan Piker could damage the Democratic Party's prospects in the midterm elections, arguing that his growing influence risks alienating voters beyond the progressive base. Speaking on POLITICO's "The Conversation with Dasha Burns", Smith said Piker's presence would "contaminate the electorate on the left side of the aisle" and eventually "come back to haunt" Democrats, as Republicans seize on his ties to candidates for political attack.

The warning comes amid controversy over Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed's association with Piker, who has campaigned alongside him despite backlash over his comments on Israel and American Jews. A recent Fox News poll put Republican Mike Rogers ahead of El-Sayed 51%-47% among Michigan voters, with El-Sayed's support falling to 69% among non-Democratic Socialists of America Democrats and independents, compared with 98% among DSA supporters. El-Sayed has defended engaging with Piker's roughly three million listeners as a route to winning votes rather than an endorsement of the streamer, who has previously faced criticism for remarks including a retracted 2019 claim that "America deserved 9/11".