Ex-Hillary Clinton staffer warns Democrats that courting far-left could cost them Jewish voters

Michigan Attorney General Warns Democrats About Alienating Jewish Voters Ahead of Midterms

In a candid appearance on the “David Frum Show” this week, Michigan’s Democratic attorney‑general, Dana Nessel, urged party leaders to listen more closely to Jewish voters or risk losing their support in the upcoming elections. Nessel said the Democratic Party has “minimized” concerns about antisemitism and left Jewish voters feeling unwelcomed and pressured to justify their identity.

“I think it’s a fundamental mistake for the Democratic Party to think that you can just push Jewish Democrats out and simply replace them with any other population,” Nessel told the podcast. She added that “if a Black person says that a phrase you’re using is racist, I’d like you to stop doing it — we respect that,” underscoring her view that the party should be responsive to all minority groups, including Jews.

The attorney‑general also criticized how the party handles concerns raised by Jewish constituents. “I find that to be very off‑putting and offensive,” she said after noting that some Democrats refuse to decide what counts as antisemitic, leaving the Jewish community to make those judgments. “I would choose my Jewish heritage over party affiliation,” Nessel added, stressing that she would not let party loyalty override her own identity.

Nessel singled out Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El Sayed, a candidate with ties to controversial streamer Hasan Piker, for remarks she described as excusing extremist violence. “A lot of us perceived that as making excuses for someone that sought to murder over 100 pre‑K schoolchildren,” she said. “El Sayed has met with Jewish leaders, but his unwillingness to retract his previous comments is cause for concern and risks amplifying such views.”

The comments came after a November 2023 incident in which El Sayed, in the wake of an attempted terrorist attack on a West Bloomfield synagogue, said, “Hurt people do hurt people.” Nessel said the statement appeared to justify extremist actions, a stance she deemed unacceptable.

Former Hillary Clinton staffer and media commentator Kaivan Shroff echoed Nessel’s concerns. “What Nessel is saying should make Democrats nervous because this isn’t really a debate about Netanyahu or even Israeli policy,” Shroff told Fox News Digital. “It’s about whether Jewish Democrats are starting to feel like they have to explain or defend a basic part of their identity to remain in good standing with the party.” He warned that the party can’t afford to shrink its base in an attempt to broaden it to figures like Piker, or it will lose key voters.

Shroff urged Democrats to focus on “establishment supporters” rather than courting socialist‑aligned candidates, especially with the midterm elections looming. He pointed to Michigan’s Senate race, where El Sayed’s affiliation with Piker, who has made remarks critics label antisemitic, could be a liability for the party’s prospects in the state.

The controversy over Piker’s statements has also drawn attention from Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin, a Jewish member of the U.S. Senate from Michigan. Slotkin posted on social media calling out Piker for suggesting that Jews in America are “singularly invested in Israel” and warned that such rhetoric could incite violence. “This shouldn’t be hard: no community should face the threat of violence for their political views. Period,” Slotkin wrote, adding that blaming victims for violence only endangers people.

Slotkin’s message echoed a broader concern among Jewish leaders in Michigan that antisemitic language, whether in the form of extremist rhetoric or dismissive party responses, threatens the safety and political engagement of their community.

Nessel has not yet responded to requests for comment from Fox News Digital, and the El Sayed campaign declined to comment. The debate over how Democratic leaders will address antisemitism and Jewish voter concerns comes at a pivotal time, with Michigan’s Senate seat—an early target for Republican challengers—facing a highly contested race that could hinge on whether the party can maintain its Jewish base while navigating broader ideological battles.