Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) criticized Democrats for their lack of enthusiasm for Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul el Sayed, arguing that party leaders should focus less on el Sayed’s association with controversial Twitch streamer Hasan Piker.Sanders, who has played kingmaker for the Democratic Party’s progressive flank, endorsed el Sayed during his primary campaign against Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI). The primary exposed divisions within the party, with establishment Democratic leaders backing Stevens, a more centrist candidate, over el Sayed’s progressive platform.El Sayed also appeared on Piker’s podcast during the campaign, drawing criticism from Democrats and Republicans over his association with the streamer, who has faced condemnation for inflammatory comments about Israel, Jews, and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Sanders acknowledged that Piker has made comments that should be rejected, but he argued that Democrats are allowing the controversy to distract from el Sayed’s economic populism.“You’re talking about a small number of people who are at the head of the Democratic Party,” Sanders said in an interview with Politico. “You’re talking about the donor class. Are they less than enthusiastic about Abdul? Yes, they are.”Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive candidate in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Michigan, talks poolside with streamer Hasan Piker at a party for content creators supporting his campaign, Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
