Twitch streamer Hasan Piker has said Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed personally asked him to campaign on his behalf, contradicting suggestions that Piker had inserted himself into the race. The claim comes as El-Sayed faces sustained criticism from establishment Democrats and groups such as Third Way over his association with Piker, who has a history of controversial remarks, including that America "deserved" 9/11 and that Jewish Americans were "making antisemitism worse" by backing Israel. El-Sayed has since sought to downplay the connection, repeatedly dismissing questions about Piker as irrelevant to his campaign.

Speaking to Semafor's David Weigel, Piker said he had not previously considered "stumping" for a candidate and was surprised by the scale of the backlash, noting he had faced far less criticism for supporting New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani's campaign. He contrasted the reaction with earlier, less publicised activities such as fundraising and joint appearances with El-Sayed. At Saturday's Michigan Democratic Party Nominating Convention, El-Sayed told reporters he did not want to discuss "a social media person in California," and separately apologised to Fox News Digital for past comments made after an attack on a Michigan synagogue in March, saying his remarks were not intended to minimise the harm caused.