Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed issued a formal statement on Thursday after his surrogate Hasan Piker claimed the United States is a worse terrorist group than al-Qaeda.
Piker made these remarks during a new episode of "The Axios Show" on Wednesday. The far-left streamer told the host that America is the "top dog in terrorism" globally.
Regarding death counts on a pound-for-pound basis, Piker confirmed the U.S. is worse when asked. He added that the nation has "caused tremendous terror all around the world."
Left-wing streamer Hasan Piker told Axios he believes the U.S. has caused more terrorism globally than al-Qaeda.
Asked whether America was worse “pound for pound,” Piker said: “Pound for pound as far as the number of deaths, yes. We have caused tremendous terror all around the… pic.twitter.com/XJQdVU14ux
— Clash Report (@clashreport) September 17, 2026
RedState reported that Piker cited a specific missile strike in Iran as proof. He claimed this event killed 140 schoolgirls, calling it an act of terror.
El-Sayed, who is running against Republican Mike Rogers, moved quickly to separate his campaign from the streamer. He told Axios he does not agree with the comparison to the group that killed nearly 3,000 people on 9/11.
"I do not agree with this statement [on al-Qaeda], nor do I give much weight to the statements made by a social media streamer," he told Axios.
El-Sayed argued that he is more worried about the economic impact of his opponents. "I am more concerned with the dangerous policies of Donald Trump and Mike Rogers that are raising the prices of gas, groceries, and healthcare for Michiganders," he declared.
Piker has campaigned actively for El-Sayed during the primary election. The candidate previously welcomed the streamer's support to energize the base before now dismissing him.
El-Sayed also spoke on Wednesday about Vice President JD Vance during an appearance on MS NOW. He criticized Vance's comments about his faith and background.
During the segment, El-Sayed described the Vice President as having "negative charisma." He claimed Vance was confused about geography when discussing a candidate in Michigan.
El-Sayed told the hosts that his name and faith are not the reason families cannot afford homes or healthcare. He blamed Trump, Vance, and Rogers for those economic struggles.
"America deserved 9/11" - Hasan Piker, the left's top streamer pic.twitter.com/gPTCJZAsre
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) September 15, 2025
Per RedState, the candidate and his team had been closely linked to Piker for months. They relied on his ability to rally voters before this latest controversy.
El-Sayed now faces pressure to explain why he dismissed a key supporter so quickly. The statement suggests a shift in strategy as the general election nears.
The campaign continues to focus on raising costs for voters in Michigan. El-Sayed remains the Democratic challenger against Rogers for the Senate seat.