Abdul El-Sayed’s Non-Apology Tour

It’s not as though Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed is struggling in the polls. His opponent, Republican Mike Rogers, trailed in every survey of Michigan’s voters in August except one, reliably drawing between 45 and 48 percent support. But those last few percentage points can make or break a candidacy, and Michigan Democrats have made it abundantly clear that the polls are masking bigger problems for El-Sayed’s campaign.

What Michigan Democrat Debbie Dingell called the “crisis” represented by Hasan Piker’s participation in her state’s politics continued Saturday as El-Sayed persisted in his effort to distance himself from the scandalizing influencer, albeit without disavowing their shared outlooks or even mentioning Piker by name. El-Sayed no longer bothers to hide his irritation over the press’s repeated inquiries into the nature of his relationship with the figure he now calls “a streamer from California.” But it’s hard to blame reporters for their skepticism about the candidate’s effort. El-Sayed’s heart just isn’t in it.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.

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It’s not as though Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed is struggling in the polls. His opponent, Republican Mike Rogers, trailed in every survey of Michigan’s voters in August except one, reliably drawing between 45 and 48 percent support. But those last few percentage points can make or break a candidacy, and Michigan Democrats have made it abundantly clear that the polls are masking bigger problems for El-Sayed’s campaign.

What Michigan Democrat Debbie Dingell called the “crisis” represented by Hasan Piker’s participation in her state’s politics continued Saturday as El-Sayed persisted in his effort to distance himself from the scandalizing influencer, albeit without disavowing their shared outlooks or even mentioning Piker by name. El-Sayed no longer bothers to hide his irritation over the press’s repeated inquiries into the nature of his relationship with the figure he now calls “a streamer from California.” But it’s hard to blame reporters for their skepticism about the candidate’s effort. El-Sayed’s heart just isn’t in it.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.