Dorothy

“If Jews in America keep putting this idea out there that they are singularly invested in Israel, eventually someone is going to come around and take action, not against the state of Israel, mind you, but against American Jews,” Piker said in a stream. “I don’t know how people don’t recognize how dangerous this predicament is, how dangerous this is for Jews.”

Rogers has capitalized on the rift among Democrats over Piker, attempting to appeal to voters who think el Sayed should completely disavow Piker. Rogers said in a statement that el Sayed “doesn’t have the guts to disavow his running mate,” referring to Piker. He also made a pitch to Moss directly on X.

“If Abdul El-Sayed had any courage at all, he would call this out and disavow Hasan Piker once and for all. We’re waiting, Abdul …” Rogers said, calling Piker the candidate’s “running mate”.

“While politicians and pundits try to make this race about a Twitch streamer, we’re going to be talking about gas, groceries, good schools, and healthcare,” he said. “Because that’s what Michiganders keep asking about. It’s why I’m fighting to get money out of politics, money in your pocket, and Medicare for All.”

Rather than giving a straight answer, El-Sayed launched into a libertarian-sounding defense of medical freedom, insisting that “the government shouldn’t tell you what kind of health care you should have.” But when Watters cut through the political jargon and asked El-Sayed point-blank if it’s okay for a parent to “slash his kid’s ding-a-ling off,” El-Sayed took a bizarre personal turn, asking the prime-time host if he was circumcised.

EL-SAYED: Look, you know, I remember having great conversations with my conservative friends about right to try legislation. The idea that the government shouldn’t tell you what kind of health care you should have. I just think the government shouldn’t tell you what kind of healthcare you should have, and if you’re a minor, it is between you, your doctor and your parents.

"So you think it’s okay for a parent to slash his kid’s ding-a-ling off?" Watters asked El-Sayed.

EL-SAYED: — selectively. I am. WATTERS: So you think it’s okay for a parent to slash his kid’s ding-a-ling off? You think that’s okay?

EL-SAYED: I mean, do you — so do you really want to have this conversation? Are you circumcised?

WATTERS: A circumcision is different than castration. EL-SAYED: I think it’s a problem. It’s a problem that you think that you get to decide what happens between a parent, a doctor, and a patient. And I’m just saying that yes, circumcision is surgery on a kid’s ding-a-ling. So if you really want to bring that up, you can. I just think you guys are really selective about the way you talk about these things.

When Watters fired back that “circumcision is different than castration,” El-Sayed doubled down on the shocking comparison, snapping, “I’m just saying that, yes, circumcision is surgery on a kid’s ding-a-ling. So if you really want to bring that up, you can. I just think you guys are really selective about how you want to talk about these things.”

Watters answered in the affirmative and called it a “personal question.” “It’s a problem that you think that you get to decide what happens between a parent, a doctor and a patient,” El-Sayed said. “I’m just saying that yes, circumcision is surgery on a kid’s ding-a-ling. So if you really want to bring that up, you can. I just think you guys are really selective about these things.”

"It’s a problem that you think you get to decide what happens between a parent, a doctor and a patient," El-Sayed went on. "I’m just saying that, yes, circumcision is surgery on a kid’s ding-a-ling."

Watters fired back, “That’s wacky. Abdul, Michigan’s not going for that. That is sick stuff.”

WATTERS: Abdul, Michigan is not going for that. That is sick stuff. Follow Jeff Poor on X @jeff_poor

“You seem a little naive, Abdul. I give you credit for facing the music, but some of the stuff’s just straight up wacky,” Watters said. “You know, I don’t know if that’s going to fly in Michigan.”

Backlash from fellow Democrats for el Sayed’s ties to Piker comes as Michigan Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers and el Sayed are locked in a tight race to replace retiring Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), which could determine the Senate majority.

Mr. El-Sayed’s Sharia comments come as former Michigan gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon has separately argued that his record on the issue, paired with his continued appearances alongside streamer Hasan Piker, marks him as “someone who wants to go into government to permanently change America,” a characterization she tied to what she called his fundamental disagreement with the Constitution and the country’s founding. Mr. El-Sayed is facing Republican Mike Rogers in the general election for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters.

“I believe all Americans deserve the right to advocate for what they believe without fear of violence,” el Sayed said in a statement. “This is particularly true for communities that have been intimidated for their beliefs in the past.”

Piker, like many in the “infotainment sphere,” has a long history of inflammatory, provocative, and outright offensive comments. He’s previously suggested that the United States deserved the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, comments he’s now apologized for, and claimed that Hamas is operating from a moral high ground in attacking Israel, a position he’s maintained.

The comparison quickly drew pushback online. Andrew Kolvet, executive producer of “The Charlie Kirk Show,” argued on social media that canon law is confined to church affairs and carries no civil force, while Sharia, in his telling, is far more comprehensive and has historically shaped state governance in Muslim-majority countries. Conservative commentator Pamela Geller made a similar distinction, writing that canon law applies only to Catholics and carries no compulsion, unlike Sharia. Commentators Michael Knowles, Dana Loesch and GOP communications strategist Matt Whitlock also weighed in, with Whitlock calling it a “strange prepared defense” that opened Mr. El-Sayed up to further scrutiny rather than deflecting it.

“So, canon law is the name for Christian law,” he said. “I don’t begrudge you your right to practice your faith as you choose. I don’t know why the idea that I could practice my faith as I choose is a problem. Nobody is trying to push Sharia law on anyone else. Just like I hope, nobody is trying to push canon law on anybody else, because we live in an America where you should have the freedom of your religion.”

"Getting rid of Sharia law is White supremacy?" Watters said to El-Sayed, bringing up past comments from the Michigan candidate opposing a ban on Sharia law and comparing those efforts to White supremacy. "Can you explain that one?"

The exchange follows renewed attention to a 2009 interview Mr. El-Sayed gave to The New York Times, in which he discussed seeking a Sharia-compliant mortgage as a 24-year-old medical student buying a condominium in Ann Arbor. He told the Times he felt religiously “obligated” to follow Sharia-compliant practices, saying he didn’t want to have “done it the easy way instead of the Shariah-compliant way” — “not because of fear but because of obligation.” Campaign spokeswoman Roxie Richner has said “Abdul believes in the separation of church and state,” and that while he personally lives by his faith, he opposes any effort by any religious community to write its laws into U.S. law.