Former Jill Biden aide rejects Senate hopeful over ties to controversial streamer

Michael LaRosa, ex-press secretary for Jill Biden, announced he will not back Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed because of the candidate’s association with streamer Hasan Piker, who previously said America deserved 9/11.

Former Jill Biden press secretary Michael LaRosa declared he will not endorse Democratic Senate contender Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, citing the candidate’s continued partnership with far-left streamer Hasan Piker. Piker sparked outrage after a 2019 livestream in which he claimed America deserved the September 11 attacks. El-Sayed has campaigned with Piker and argues that sharing a stage does not equal endorsement of every comment.

LaRosa, whose best friend lost his mother in the World Trade Center tragedy, said he cannot support anyone who fails to condemn such extremist rhetoric. He specifically criticized El-Sayed for not denouncing the streamer’s statement that the victim “deserved” her fate. The dispute underscores a widening rift within the Democratic Party over how to handle extremist language, a split that could influence voter alignment in pivotal races like Michigan’s Senate contest.