Senator Bernie Sanders has asserted that a segment of Democratic Party leaders and donors are privately expressing a desire for Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed to lose his election. Sanders, I-Vt., told Politico Playbook that these individuals, whom he described as part of the party's "donor class," are less enthusiastic about El-Sayed due to his progressive platform, which he believes threatens wealthy interests, and his stance on U.S. policy toward Israel.
"You're talking about a small number of people who are at the head of the Democratic Party. You're talking about the donor class... Are they less than enthusiastic about Abdul? Yes, they are," Sanders stated.
Sanders also suggested that these Democrats view candidates like El-Sayed as a "threat to oligarchy" and a "threat to American foreign policy and our continued support for the extremist Netanyahu government in Israel."
Democratic strategist Yemisi Egbewole, former chief of staff for the Biden White House, countered Sanders' characterization, emphasizing the party's goal of securing a Senate majority. Egbewole told Fox News Digital that El-Sayed, having narrowly won the primary against Rep. Haley Stevens, is responsible for consolidating Democratic support.
"Dems want a majority in the Senate. El-Sayed apologized for his comments about the Temple Isreal attack and hasn't campaigned with Hasan. No one is as caught up in this oligarchy business as Sanders is. Stevens lost. She endorsed Abdul. It's now his job to win those voters," Egbewole said.
Meanwhile, RNC national press secretary Natalie Baldassarre rejected Sanders' defense of El-Sayed, calling him unfit for the Senate. "Abdul El-Sayed is a terrorist bootlicker who downplayed 9/11, pals around with a radical streamer who thinks our country deserved it, and whose mother worked for an organization that funneled money to Osama bin Laden to orchestrate it," Baldassarre stated to Fox News Digital. "His presence in the Senate would absolutely pose a national security threat, and it’s no surprise that Democrats are losing their minds at Bernie for propping up another unelectable extremist."
The controversy surrounding El-Sayed's ties to streamer Hasan Piker, who campaigned with him during the primary, has resurfaced. Piker faced widespread condemnation for recent remarks concerning American Jews and Israel, drawing criticism from prominent Democrats including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Senators Cory Booker, D-N.J., Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., and Jacky Rosen, D-Nev.
Sanders, a vocal supporter of El-Sayed during the primary, downplayed Piker's controversies, suggesting Republicans and the media are using them to distract from economic issues. "Like every other podcaster in the world, he says dumb things that people should reject," Sanders remarked.
El-Sayed himself has attempted to shift focus away from Piker. At the Michigan Democratic Party convention, he stated, "We're in the state of Michigan. If you want to make this race about a streamer in California, I just think you're missing the boat. This is about affordability in Michigan. This is about seeing a doctor in Michigan. This is about Donald Trump’s disastrous policies in Michigan. That's what I'm focused on right now."
El-Sayed also addressed remarks he made following a March terrorist attack on a Michigan synagogue, where he commented, "Hurt people, hurt people." He apologized for the comments, which drew criticism from Michigan Democrats like Attorney General Dana Nessel. "To anybody who feels like my comments may have been hurtful, I'm really sorry. That was not my intention. We condemned that terrorist attack. We condemned it outright," El-Sayed said. "What I was trying to do was offer context for why it happened, but it wasn't the time for context, and you don't ever want to trample somebody's pain."
Recent polling indicates a close race in Michigan. A Fox News poll in August showed Republican nominee Mike Rogers leading El-Sayed 51%-47%, within the margin of sampling error. A subsequent AARP survey also showed the candidates in a statistical tie. Sanders encouraged El-Sayed to maintain his campaign's focus on economic issues impacting working families, stating, "Stay on the issues that impact working families in Michigan. Do that, you're going to win — and I think he will."