Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan says she is not interested in questions about controversial left-wing commentator Hasan Piker, a discussion she considers an attempt to divide Democrats.
“Don’t any reporter ask me again about Hasan Piker. It’s not what November is about,” Ms. Dingell said at a University of Michigan event on Wednesday.
At the event, she rallied alongside Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland in support of Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed.
Ms. Dingell continued, “Republicans … are trying to divide us. And we’ve got to stop letting them try to divide us. I don’t agree with Hasan Piker on a lot of stuff.”
Mr. Piker is a popular figure on the online left, boasting 3.1 million followers on the streaming platform Twitch, 1.9 million YouTube subscribers, and 1.7 million followers on X.
The streamer has drawn increased attention since Mr. El-Sayed collaborated with him on the campaign trail ahead of the Democratic primary.
Recently, Mr. El-Sayed distanced himself from Mr. Piker’s comment implying American Jews invited violence against themselves by fervently supporting Israel.
Mr. El-Sayed also fired back at critics, accusing them of trying to “make this race about a Twitch streamer.”
Democrats such as Rep. Hillary Scholten of Michigan, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, and Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey denounced Mr. Piker’s comments about inviting violence.
Mike Rogers, the Republican Senate nominee in Michigan, has made Mr. El-Sayed’s ties to the streamer a main line of attack, demanding that he disavow him.
Earlier Wednesday on CNN, Ms. Dingell said she was “tired of people trying to drag me into” the discussion over Mr. Piker’s influence.
Ms. Dingell was neutral in the Michigan Democratic Senate primary and endorsed Mr. El-Sayed after he defeated Rep. Haley Stevens by one percentage point.
