Representative Debbie Dingell said she would no longer answer questions about Hasan Piker while campaigning for Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, arguing that Republicans were using the streamer to divide Democrats. The dispute matters because Piker’s past comments have become a line of attack against El-Sayed and a potential issue in the Senate campaign.

Dingell said she disagreed with Piker on many matters, including some comments about women, but said the election should focus on healthcare, affordability, hunger and other concerns. Her office said she would not discuss Piker further; conservative commentators and Republican accounts criticised the stance and argued that El-Sayed should distance himself from Piker. The article reports that El-Sayed had not disavowed Piker at the time of publication.