Democrat candidate Abdul El-Sayed criticized for Hasan Piker link, takes swipe at Joe Rogan | Hindustan Times

Michigan Democrat Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, who was criticized for campaigning with extreme left Twitch streamer Hasan Piker defended his stance and decision. The candidate instead took a jab at Joe Rogan.Piker dividing the DemocratsOn being asked whether he would criticize Piker’s controversial comments, the candidate doubled down and took aim at Rogan for speaking on his behalf. "I'm not here to disavow people's views. I'm here to have a conversation about how to get money out of politics, put money back in pockets, and pass Medicare for all. That's the conversation that folks are here to listen to," El-Sayed said. Also Read | Joe Rogan blasts Trump with brutal ‘10 years left on earth’ joke amid Iran war, ‘Death is imminent’The politician said that as per his opinion, the “platform policing, cancel culture” were over. “I thought that we lived through the whole discourse of 'should have gone on Rogan,' and there's a lot that I would look at, but Rogan said that I'd disavow, and I'd still go on his show.", he said.El-Sayed on Joe Rogan show?Even though it remains unclear whether the Michigan democrat has been invited to appear on Joe Rogan’s show or not. "The Joe Rogan Experience" is the number 1 show on Spotify and during Donald Trump’s campaign helped him reach a wider audience.The candidate has made the argument for campaigning with Piker that his show could help him reach a larger audience. In a brief interview with CBS News, El-Sayed responded to the accusations of aligning with Piker’s politics online, “The fact that this is the controversy to me, says everything we need to know about what D.C. focuses on. I don't pay much attention to D.C. I pay attention to Michigan,”. He also said, ”Here in Michigan, people can't afford to fill up a tank because of the war that's being fought out of D.C. and have to suffer. The president is tweeting about his genocidal fantasies in Iran. He's tweeting about the drapes in a building. So at the end of the day, like, I just don't take my cues from there. We're focused on reaching out to people who feel locked out of our politics because they cannot afford the basic needs of a dignified life.”El-Sayed is going up against two more democrats in Michigan in the August primary – Rep. Haley Stevens and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow.At this stage, Piker has become a point of contention among democrats. While some are choosing to campaign with him, others are criticizing it saying the move will alienate the moderate voters for the democrats.