El-Sayed reportedly urged Hasan Piker to tone down rhetoric, citing lost votes
A CNN report, relayed by right-leaning outlets, says Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed called streamer Hasan Piker and asked him to stop, warning his rhetoric was costing votes. Neither El-Sayed's campaign nor Piker has responded in the coverage.
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The story, neutrally told
Right · 2Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for US Senate in Michigan, recently called Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, warned that his rhetoric was costing El-Sayed votes and asked him to stop, according to a CNN report published on 7 October. Fox NewsR “El-Sayed recently called Piker and warned his rhetoric was costing El-Sayed votes, asking him to stop, according to two people El-Sayed told about the conversation,” Read at Fox News ↗ New York PostR “El-Sayed called Piker and warned him that the streamer’s rhetoric was costing the Michigan Democrat votes, two sources told CNN.” Read at New York Post ↗ Right · 2CNN's account rests on two people El-Sayed told about the conversation; Piker did not respond to requests for comment, and the New York Post said it contacted El-Sayed's campaign. Hot AirR “Piker did not respond to requests for comment.” Read at Hot Air ↗ New York PostR “The Post contacted El-Sayed’s campaign for comment.” Read at New York Post ↗ Right · 2El-Sayed campaigned with Piker through the end of the primary against Rep. Haley Stevens, including a pool party on the eve of the party election, and has since distanced himself from the streamer. New York PostR “During his primary fight against Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.), El-Sayed had proudly palled around with Piker” Read at New York Post ↗ Hot AirR “He distanced himself from Hasan Piker after campaigning through the end of the primary with the streamer” Read at Hot Air ↗
Right · 1Fox News says the distancing began in August, after Piker appeared to blame American Jews for antisemitic attacks because of their support for Israel. Fox NewsR “The Michigan Democrat eventually began distancing himself from Piker in August after Piker appeared to blame American Jews” Read at Fox News ↗ Right · 2El-Sayed has said his campaign is not about a "streamer in California"; on Fox News' "The Story" he said "There's not a relationship" with Piker, and Fox reports he declined to disavow Piker's comments. New York PostR ““This campaign was never about a streamer in California,” El-Sayed told Fox News’ “The Story” with Martha MacCallum” Read at New York Post ↗ Fox NewsR “There's not a relationship.” Read at Fox News ↗ Right · 1Piker has drawn criticism for past remarks, including suggesting in 2019 that America "deserved 9/11" and saying the US has killed more people than Al Qaeda "pound for pound"; Neera Tanden, head of the Center for American Progress, said the report showed she had been right about him. New York PostR “Piker, who suggested in 2019 that “America deserved 9/11,” before begrudgingly walking back that remark”““Oh look. I have been right and AES agrees with me,” Neera Tanden” Read at New York Post ↗
Right · 2The CNN report also says El-Sayed has avoided topics such as Israel and AIPAC, which spent $33 million through a super PAC trying to defeat him in the primary, while saying he will not change his positions. Hot AirR “American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which spent $33 million through its super PAC trying to defeat him” Read at Hot Air ↗ Fox NewsR “El-Sayed has avoided discussing hot-button topics such as Israel and American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) funding.” Read at Fox News ↗ Right · 2The race against Republican Mike Rogers is close: the New York Post cites El-Sayed leading by 3.2 points in the RealClearPolitics average, while Hot Air says polls show the most certain voters favouring Rogers. New York PostR “El-Sayed is currently leading Rogers by 3.2 percentage points in the latest RealClearPolitics aggregate of polls.” Read at New York Post ↗ Hot AirR “the most determined voters — the ones who say they are certain to vote — favor Mike Rogers” Read at Hot Air ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right3 outlets
- Framing
- All three outlets are right-leaning and treat the call as an admission that Piker is a liability; Hot Air is openly hostile to El-Sayed, the Post and Fox lead with the report and Piker's controversial past.
- Emphasis
- Piker's past remarks on 9/11, Israel and Hamas, and El-Sayed's earlier closeness to him.
- Leaves out or plays down
- None of the three presents El-Sayed's own account of the call; the Post and Fox say they sought comment. The original CNN report is relayed second-hand.
- Charged language
- “Arrogant El-Sayed”“privately begged”“lefty streamer”“political poison”
- For example
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“Arrogant El-Sayed Tells Hasan Piker to Keep Quiet” — Hot Air
“Abdul El-Sayed privately begged lefty streamer Hasan Piker to tone down rhetoric” — New York Post
“allegedly called far-left Twitch streamer Hasan Piker” — Fox News
What every side reports
- CNN reported, citing two people El-Sayed told, that he called Piker and asked him to stop because his rhetoric was costing votes.
- Piker did not respond to requests for comment.
- El-Sayed campaigned with Piker during the primary and has since distanced himself.
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El-Sayed called Piker and warned that his rhetoric was costing El-Sayed votes, asking him to stop.
Reported- Reports 3
- Fox News, Hot Air, New York Post
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El-Sayed has distanced himself from Piker after campaigning with him during the primary.
Reported- Reports 3
- Fox News, Hot Air, New York Post
Abdul El-Sayed person
Has said his campaign is not about a streamer in California and that he has no relationship with Piker; CNN reports he says he will not modulate his positions. No comment on the call appears in the coverage.
“The question is not about a relationship I got with a streamer in California. There's not a relationship.” — Fox News
Hasan Piker person
Did not respond to requests for comment on the reported call.
“Piker did not respond to requests for comment.” — Hot Air
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right3 articles
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Hot AirR ·
Arrogant El-Sayed Tells Hasan Piker to Keep Quiet
Critical Opinion piece calling El-Sayed cocky and antisemitic and using the report to argue Piker is a liability.
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Critical Reports the CNN story with a pointed headline and a catalogue of Piker's controversial statements.
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Abdul El-Sayed reportedly called Hasan Piker warning his rhetoric was 'costing' votes
Neutral Relays the CNN report with hedged wording ("allegedly", "reportedly") and background on El-Sayed's distancing from Piker.
- 7 Oct 15:00 First Hot AirR Arrogant El-Sayed Tells Hasan Piker to Keep Quiet
- 7 Oct 22:39 +7h 39m New York PostR Abdul El-Sayed privately begged lefty streamer Hasan Piker to tone down rhetoric as Election Day nears: report
- 7 Oct 23:00 +8h Fox NewsR Abdul El-Sayed reportedly called Hasan Piker warning his rhetoric was 'costing' votes
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.