Piker, who once said that “America deserved 9/11” and called Orthodox Jews “inbred,” is roiling Democrats as he uses his large following online, built from his popularity as a Twitch streamer, to become a surrogate for progressive candidates like El-Sayed.
But El-Sayed, prompted whether he disavowed any of Piker’s past comments amid bipartisan accusations of elevating antisemitic views from the influential streamer, declined to distance himself from any of Piker’s controversial positions.
“I’m not here to disavow people’s views,” El-Sayed, standing beside Piker, told reporters while at Michigan State University for a rally. “This whole gotcha game, platform policing, cancel culture — I thought we were over it. … I just think that we need to get over this if we’re serious about winning elections.”
The progressive former Detroit health official’s association with Piker, who typically streams with candidates rather than stump for them on the trail, is emblematic of those
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