The Shocking Claim
A popular Twitch streamer told a major news outlet that the United States causes more terror deaths than Al-Qaeda. Hasan Piker said the US is worse “pound for pound” than the group behind 9/11. This comment came during an interview on “The Axios Show” published on September 17. Piker is a known supporter of Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan.
The streamer argued that American military actions have resulted in a higher death toll globally. He specifically pointed to an alleged missile strike on a school in Iran as proof. “We have caused tremendous terror all around the world,” Piker stated, according to the New York Post. This comparison to the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people on September 11, 2001, caused immediate outrage. The claim relies on details from Iranian sources that have not been fully verified by independent reporters.
El-Sayed’s Damage Control
Abdul El-Sayed was forced to issue a public statement to distance himself from his own campaign surrogate. The candidate told Axios he does not agree with the comparison to the terrorist organization. Regarding al-Qaeda, he declared his disagreement with that statement and assigned little importance to remarks by a social media streamer. El-Sayed is running against Republican Mike Rogers for the Senate seat in Michigan. He tried to pivot the conversation to the cost of living and government policies.
The candidate asserted that dangerous policies from Donald Trump and Mike Rogers, which increase costs for gas, groceries, and healthcare for Michiganders, worry him most. This move came after Piker had campaigned heavily for El-Sayed during the primary election. The candidate had previously defended his relationship with the streamer before this latest outburst. He told Fox 2 Detroit that he talks to Piker because of the three million people who listen to him.
Why This Hurts Voters
The timing of this statement reveals a deep disconnect between campaign tactics and voter values. El-Sayed needed Piker to energize his base during the primary race. Now that the general election is here, he tries to dismiss the man who helped him win. Piker’s comments about killing 140 schoolgirls being an act of terror are deeply offensive to many Americans. Killing 140 schoolgirls constitutes an act of terror, he remarked. This rhetoric ignores the deliberate nature of the 9/11 attacks where hijackers flew planes into buildings.
Piker also referenced his past comment that America “deserved 9/11,” which he has only partially walked back. Michigan voters are watching closely as the race remains tight. According to reports, El-Sayed holds a 1.8 percentage point lead over Rogers. Every word from the campaign team matters when the margin is that small.
The Accountability Gap
Piker attempted to soften his blow by saying not all Americans are terrorists. He further noted that not all Americans are terrorists, yet accountability must be established. However, this does not erase the damage done by calling the US the top dog in terrorism.
The candidate’s campaign cannot have it both ways by using the same people to win and then rejecting them. Conservative voters see this as a sign of the left’s true priorities. They value the military institution and respect the sacrifice of service members. The statement from El-Sayed shows he knows the comment was a mistake. Yet the fact that he worked with Piker for months raises questions about judgment. To flip control of the Senate during the Nov. 3 midterm elections, Democrats need to win the Michigan Senate race. Voters will decide if this association is a liability they can afford.
