EXCLUSIVE — A conservative political action committee backing Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers launched a website on Wednesday “exposing” Democrat Abdul el Sayed for having far-left views that are “too extreme for Michigan.”
The Sentinel Action Fund, a GOP super PAC, launched the website RealAbdulSayed.com as part of a seven-figure digital campaign intended to brand el Sayed as “radical,” emphasizing his close ties with controversial left-wing streamer Hasan Piker, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).
The main ad on the website, titled “Deserve,” highlights el Sayed’s failure to disavow “anti-America comments” made by people in his orbit.
“El Sayed is endorsed by extreme liberals like AOC, [Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)], and Bernie Sanders,” the ad said. “And when el Sayed’s political ally Hasan Piker said, ‘America deserved 9/11,’ el Sayed refused to disavow it.”
The website also details el Sayed’s relationship with the Democratic Socialists of America, his claim that football is “toxically masculine,” and a hot-mic moment in which el Sayed said he “hates” Mackinac Island, a popular tourist destination in Lake Huron.
Piker has emerged as a significant snag in el Sayed’s campaign, particularly because his hourslong streams give the GOP a trove of controversial clips to blast on the airwaves.
El Sayed has sought to distance himself from Piker, saying that he and his spokespeople are the only messengers of the campaign. He made this statement following Piker’s comments on a livestream in which he said Jewish people invited violence against themselves by supporting Israel while showing a picture of Michigan state Sen. Jeremy Moss, a Jewish Democrat.
ABDUL EL SAYED REFUSAL TO BROADEN APPEAL DRAWS FEARS HE COULD SPOIL MICHIGAN FOR DEMOCRATS
Piker’s proximity to el Sayed and the candidate’s refusal to condemn his controversial remarks have also sounded the alarm among his potential Democratic colleagues, who feel it should be easy for the progressive to disavow the comments and appeal to moderate voters.
The Sentinel Action Fund endorsed Rogers in March and set aside $15 million to boost his bid, injecting significant outside money into one of the GOP’s top pickup opportunities of the 2026 midterm elections. It has also released an ad championing President Donald Trump’s endorsement of Rogers.