Lansing, Mich. – During a gathering with college students, Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed commemorated the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks with a moment of silence. Many of the students were too young to remember those events. In his speech, El-Sayed criticized his Republican opponent, Mike Rogers. Rogers increased his criticism of El-Sayed because of El-Sayed’s previous association with Hasan Piker, a controversial left-wing streamer.
Piker made headlines in 2019 by saying, “America deserved 9/11.” Though initially associated with Piker, El-Sayed distanced himself from the streamer and his comments. During a town hall, El-Sayed condemned votes Rogers made in Congress against benefits for 9/11 survivors and first responders.
Rogers served as a Michigan Congressman from 2001 to 2015. He supported financial aid for 9/11 victims immediately following the attacks. However, he voted against the 2010 James Zadroga Act, intended to provide medical treatment and financial support to 9/11 first responders and survivors. Rogers argued for annual funding of the aid, worried that the bill risked the country’s financial stability.
El-Sayed criticized Rogers in a town hall, saying, “Rather than making sure first responders receive healthcare, he voted against it twice.” Rogers refuted this criticism, stating online that suggesting he doesn’t support victims and their families is “patently false.” He highlighted his advocacy for an annual $150 million appropriation to support 9/11 survivors and victims’ families.
Piker’s comments have sparked sharp criticism, particularly from Michigan Republicans. El-Sayed himself labeled Piker’s comments as “dumb” in August. In 2019, Piker admitted that his language should have been more precise. El-Sayed’s views on the 9/11 aftermath have also come under scrutiny. He stated in 2021 that, while 9/11 deeply affected the U.S., the subsequent military actions scarred millions elsewhere.
Republicans argue these statements paint El-Sayed as extreme. During the Republican midterm convention in Dallas, numerous speakers referenced El-Sayed. Vice President JD Vance declared, “The Democrats are the party of hatred.” He accused them of sympathizing with 9/11 terrorists.
At the GOP convention, Rogers framed the election as centered on America’s soul. He accused El-Sayed of making excuses when “radical Islamic terrorists threaten Americans.” Rogers, who was in Congress during the 9/11 attacks, alleged that El-Sayed and Piker attack America and excuse extremism.
El-Sayed has consistently condemned the 9/11 attacks. On Friday, he stated, “nothing can justify the murder of innocent civilians.” Supporters of El-Sayed and Muslim advocacy organizations have denounced attempts to link him with the attacks as Islamophobic.
Tyler Mitchell, a Democratic voter and Afghanistan War veteran from Michigan, expects Piker’s comments to be repeatedly used against El-Sayed by Rogers and Republicans. He believes the focus on El-Sayed is due to his Muslim faith, calling it “disrespectful.” GOP groups backing Rogers have released at least three ads referencing 9/11 and Piker. The Senate Leadership Fund reserved over $45 million in ad space in Michigan this fall.
Rogers has also circulated videos featuring veterans and first responders criticizing El-Sayed and Piker. Maj. Jon Turnbull, an Afghanistan War veteran, stated, “For somebody to support someone who said we deserved 9/11 shows their true allegiance.”
On the campaign trail, El-Sayed often faces questions about Piker. During a town hall, he criticized the media’s coverage of the streamer. “You know what I always get asked about? Hasan Piker,” he remarked, urging them to address healthcare instead.
When discussing Rogers’ recent remarks and Republican ads, El-Sayed criticized Rogers for campaigning outside Michigan and not addressing important issues like the economy, healthcare, or the conflict with Iran. El-Sayed claimed Rogers uses 9/11 memories politically “while denying healthcare to the real heroes who ran into danger on that day.”