Updated April 7, 2026, at 10:32 p.m.
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed is defending his decision to campaign with progressive influencer Hasan Piker, who some moderate Democrats have criticized for making comments about Israel's war in Gaza they characterized as antisemitic.
El-Sayed said appearing with Piker, who has millions of followers, allows him to reach people who might otherwise not participate in the political process.
"If we're serious about building a politics that unlocks for the folks who feel locked out, then you've got to be serious about going to the places where they naturally are," El-Sayed said.
El-Sayed said he started his day appearing on Fox News before campaigning with Piker in East Lansing and Ann Arbor.
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Progressive influencer Hasan Spiker speaks at a rally with U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich., on April 7, 2026.
Andrew Roth / WKAR-MSU
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Progressive influencer Hasan Spiker speaks at a rally with U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich., on April 7, 2026.
Andrew Roth / WKAR-MSU
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— Abdul El-Sayed rally with Hasan Piker
U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed peers through a window as progressive influencer Hasan Piker speaks at a rally at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich., on April 7, 2026.
Andrew Roth / WKAR-MSU
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— Abdul El-Sayed rally with Hasan Piker
Progressive influencer Hasan Spiker speaks at a rally with U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich., on April 7, 2026.
Andrew Roth / WKAR-MSU
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U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed makes his entrance to a rally with progressive influencer Hasan Piker at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich., on April 7, 2026.
Andrew Roth / WKAR-MSU
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U.S. Rep. Summer Lee speaks at a rally with U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and progressive influencer Hasan Piker at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich., on April 7, 2026.
Andrew Roth / WKAR-MSU
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— Abdul El-Sayed rally with Hasan Piker
U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed makes his entrance to a rally with progressive influencer Hasan Piker at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich., on April 7, 2026.
Andrew Roth / WKAR-MSU
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— Abdul El-Sayed rally with Hasan Piker
U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed makes his entrance to a rally with progressive influencer Hasan Piker at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich., on April 7, 2026.
Andrew Roth / WKAR-MSU
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— Abdul El-Sayed rally with Hasan Piker
U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed speaks during a rally at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich., with progressive influencer Hasan Piker on April 7, 2026.
Andrew Roth / WKAR-MSU
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U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed speaks during a rally at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich., with progressive influencer Hasan Piker on April 7, 2026.
Andrew Roth / WKAR-MSU
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U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed speaks during a rally at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich., with progressive influencer Hasan Piker on April 7, 2026.
Andrew Roth / WKAR-MSU
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— Abdul El-Sayed rally with Hasan Piker
U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed speaks during a rally at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich., with progressive influencer Hasan Piker on April 7, 2026.
Andrew Roth / WKAR-MSU
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— Abdul El-Sayed rally with Hasan Piker
U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed speaks during a rally at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich., with progressive influencer Hasan Piker on April 7, 2026.
Andrew Roth / WKAR-MSU
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— Abdul El-Sayed rally with Hasan Piker
U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed speaks during a rally at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich., with progressive influencer Hasan Piker on April 7, 2026.
Andrew Roth / WKAR-MSU
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U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed speaks during a rally at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich., with progressive influencer Hasan Piker on April 7, 2026.
Andrew Roth / WKAR-MSU
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— Abdul El-Sayed rally with Hasan Piker
U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed speaks during a rally at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich., with progressive influencer Hasan Piker on April 7, 2026.
Andrew Roth / WKAR-MSU
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U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, left, progressive influencer Hasan Piker, center, and U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, right, speak to reporters after a rally at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich., on April 7, 2026.
Andrew Roth / WKAR-MSU
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Progressive influencer Hasan Piker speaks to reporters in East Lansing, Mich., on April 7, 2026, before a rally with U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed at Michigan State University.
Andrew Roth / WKAR-MSU
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— Abdul El-Sayed rally with Hasan Piker
U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed speaks to reporters in East Lansing, Mich., on April 7, 2026, before a rally with progressive influencer Hasan Piker at Michigan State University.
Andrew Roth / WKAR-MSU
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U.S. House candidate Will Lawrence looks on as U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed speaks to reporters in East Lansing, Mich., on April 7, 2026, before a rally with progressive influencer Hasan Piker at Michigan State University.
Andrew Roth / WKAR-MSU
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— Abdul El-Sayed rally with Hasan Piker
U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed speaks to reporters in East Lansing, Mich., on April 7, 2026, before a rally with progressive influencer Hasan Piker at Michigan State University.
Andrew Roth / WKAR-MSU
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Progressive influencer Hasan Piker arrives in East Lansing, Mich., on April 7, 2026, for a rally with U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed at Michigan State University.
Andrew Roth / WKAR-MSU
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U.S. Rep. Summer Lee greets supporters after a rally with U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and progressive influencer Hasan Piker at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich., on April 7, 2026.
Andrew Roth / WKAR-MSU
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U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed arrives in East Lansing, Mich., on April 7, 2026, for a rally with progressive influencer Hasan Piker at Michigan State University.
Andrew Roth / WKAR-MSU
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U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, progressive influencer Hasan Piker and U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed depart a rally at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich., on April 7, 2026, for another rally at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich., later that evening.
Andrew Roth / WKAR-MSU
MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz and the MSU Board of Trustees said in a joint statement regarding Piker that universities "have a role in supporting free speech and encouraging diverse thought," but acknowledged that "recent comments attributed to a speaker coming to campus, who the university did not invite, have caused pain and concern, particularly among members of our Jewish community."
"Antisemitism and discrimination of any kind is unacceptable and inconsistent with our institutional values and has no place in a community grounded in respect, inclusion and dignity," the statement read.
They also pointed students and campus community members towards mental health support services.
U.S. Rep. Summer Lee of Pennsylvania joined El-Sayed and Piker for the rally at Anthony Hall, which was attended by hundreds of students.
Attendees began lining up for the event about 90 minutes before doors opened. Organizers said the large lecture hall where the rally was held was at capacity.
El-Sayed said the students will help shape the race by having conversations about the campaign with their families.
"The most important person in an older person's life is the younger people in their lives," El-Sayed said. "I can tell you that, watching parents interact with their kids, they're always looking for something that the kid is excited about."
El-Sayed is the former Wayne County Health Director and ran for governor in 2018 but lost the Democratic primary to now-Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
He's running for Michigan's open U.S. Senate seat this year with a focus on increasing affordable housing, protecting Michigan's water and making Medicare for All a reality.
State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, D-Royal Oak, and U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Birmingham, are also running in the Democratic primary.
The winner of that race is widely expected to face former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, the front-runner in the Republican primary and the party's 2024 U.S. Senate nominee.
Some attendees of Tuesday's rally, like libertarian-turned-progressive Kaitlyn Hargrove, said Piker's presence was a draw to the rally.
"He offers an alternative point of view that makes a lot of sense for a lot of people. I think he just brings a lot of issues to light in a different way, and I think more people would agree with if they take the time to listen," she said.
Peter, an MSU graduate and current nursing student who did not share his last name, drove from Grand Rapids to East Lansing for the rally.
He said El-Sayed's healthcare policies are especially appealing to him as a voter.
"I like that he is a doctor talking about Medicare for all. I think that actually gives him a lot of credibility when he's talking about it," he said.
Other attendees said they appreciate his promise to not accept corporate PAC money. McMorrow has made the same pledge.
Attendee Alyssa Pullen said it's important for young voters to stay informed about candidates.
"It's good to know about the politics that we're going into after our college life," Pullen said. "It's good to know about what's going on in the world and what our politicians are doing to make our lives better."
Piker responded to critiques against him several times during the event, arguing some moderate Democrats have spent more time criticizing El-Sayed for campaigning alongside him than they have spent responding to President Donald Trump's war in Iran.
"Foreign policy is directly related to domestic policy, because every single dollar that is spent on a bomb that blows up a school overseas is a dollar that is stolen from you," Piker said.
El-Sayed echoed that message, saying Democrats cannot oppose the war while simultaneously being open to funding it.
The candidate also condemned the wars in Gaza and Iran but said being critical of Israel's policies does not equate to an attack on Jewish people.
"I'll be absolutely clear: All of us love and revere our Jewish neighbors and the faith of Judaism," El-Sayed said. "We love and revere our Jewish neighbors and Judaism because we love and revere all people. Which is exactly why we will not sit idly by while our tax dollars go to fund a war on behalf of a foreign government."
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