Staff Reports
Republicans have found a new weapon in Michigan: a resurfaced 2019 clip of streamer Hasan Piker saying the infamous line about 9/11 — and they are using his past words to paint Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El‑Sayed as tied to extreme rhetoric. Dave Rubin has even posted a DM clip showing CNN commentator Scott Jennings pressing State Senator Mallory McMorrow about the connection. Before anyone reaches for another take‑down tweet, remember the fact checks: Piker said it, not El‑Sayed. Still, politics is rarely about neat facts.
What actually happened: Piker’s remark and the fact‑check
Here’s the clear part: Hasan Piker made a badly worded comment in 2019 that many reported as “America deserved 9/11.” He later tried to walk it back. Independent fact‑checkers such as PolitiFact and FactCheck.org have looked at the ads and Republican claims and concluded that it is false or misleading to say Abdul El‑Sayed himself uttered that line. So the record matters — Piker said it, not El‑Sayed — but the politics move faster than the corrections do.
Why Republicans are running with it in the Michigan Senate race
Mike Rogers’ campaign and allied GOP groups smell blood. In a swing state like Michigan, linking a Democratic nominee to a viral clip of extreme rhetoric is cheap and effective, even when the link is just association. El‑Sayed has called the remark “dumb” on TV, yet he also defends outreach to Piker’s audience as part of modern campaigning. Democrats embraced new media outreach; Republicans are cashing the check. That’s politics — you invite a big, loud online audience, and sometimes the noise bites back.
Media spin, Rubin’s clip, and the missing corroboration
Dave Rubin’s posted DM clip shows Scott Jennings pressing Mallory McMorrow over El‑Sayed’s ties to Piker. It’s a juicy moment for conservatives — and Rubin’s channel is happy to amplify it. Caveat: I could not find independent mainstream coverage corroborating that exact DM exchange beyond Rubin’s post, so treat the clip as Rubin’s material. Meanwhile, many in the mainstream media still lean on the fact‑checks while Democrats try to thread a needle: reject the nasty phrasing but defend engagement with a large online audience. That’s a weak umbrella when lightning strikes.
Bottom line: voters should want clarity, not excuses
Here’s the plain truth: Democrats made a calculation to chase new audiences and now face predictable consequences. Republicans are doing their job if they point out political risk — even if some ads blur facts. Voters in Michigan deserve clear answers from El‑Sayed: condemn the rhetoric, explain why outreach mattered, and be honest about who you welcome into your campaign. Until then, expect more clips, more fact‑checks, and more mud in a race that could decide control of the Senate. Welcome to modern campaigning — noisy, messy, and unforgiving.
