Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) stood by his claim that Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed “sleeps in a bin Laden jersey,” telling Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” that El-Sayed probably got the jersey from online streamer Hasan Piker.
Kennedy first made the bin Laden jersey remark two nights earlier while campaigning in Michigan alongside former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI), El-Sayed’s Republican opponent in the Senate race.
Host Larry Kudlow pressed Kennedy on El-Sayed’s record during the Sunday broadcast. “This guy El-Sayed, I mean, to my lights, he’s just a big phony,” Kudlow said. “He says he’s not a socialist. Of course he’s a socialist. He wants Medicare for all. He wants a state-run economy. And in the debate with Mike Rogers, as you probably know, Senator, he refused to answer the question, which is a bigger threat, Iran or Israel? He was asked that repeatedly, and he wouldn’t answer the question. So he prevaricates on almost every angle, Senator Kennedy.”
Kennedy responded by laying out his case against El-Sayed and his associate Piker.
“Well, Larry, I sort of do things my own way, which is why I will never completely fit in, in Washington. I consider that to be one of my best qualities. I did say that about Mr. El-Sayed. Mr. El-Sayed is a Democratic Socialist. He feels contempt for America, when he should feel gratitude. He campaigns with his best buddy a gentleman by the name of Hasan Piker. Mr. Piker has said that America deserved 9/11. Mr. Piker says that Americans are bigger terrorists than Al Qaeda. Mr. Piker has said that orthodox Jewish people are inbred. Mr. Piker supports Hezbollah. So I said what I said. And I might add that Mr. El-Sayed probably got his bin Laden jersey from Mr. Piker.”
Kennedy also addressed the backlash to his comments. He said El-Sayed, along with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), accused him of racism in response.
“In response, Mr. El-Sayed, along with my Senate colleague, Senator Bernie Sanders, who’s also my friend, said that I’m a racist. What an original defense. They also think that Dr. Seuss and Mr. Potato Head are racist too. Look, how could I possibly be a racist? I’m not a Democrat. Mine is the party of Lincoln.”
The exchange comes amid a closely watched Michigan Senate race between El-Sayed and Rogers, with Louisiana’s Kennedy campaigning on Rogers’ behalf.
