Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) on Monday said that Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed has “a lot more work to do” to address his past comments on antisemitism, and warned that some candidates “may never get there.”
Speaking on CNN News Central, Wasserman Schultz responded to El-Sayed’s weekend apology to a group of Jewish Democrats, in which he called his past remarks a mistake. She acknowledged the apology as a positive step but stopped short of endorsing it as sufficient.
“I’m certainly glad that he began the trip towards making amends, but he’s got a lot more work to do,” Wasserman Schultz said. “And any candidate that refuses to disavow, step back from any kind of bigotry is really — like I said, has a lot of work to do and may never get there.”
Her comments come after El-Sayed, who won Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary, faced scrutiny for remarks he made following a 2018 synagogue attack. The apology, delivered over the weekend, was seen as an attempt to address concerns within the Jewish community as he moves toward the general election.
Party Unity and Bigotry
Wasserman Schultz, a former chair of the Democratic National Committee, emphasized that while there are disagreements within the party, there is broad unity on rejecting bigotry. She cited Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH), who made similar remarks the day before.
“There is widespread unity across our party, across our caucus,” she said. “We’re the most unified caucus in the House of Representatives that we’ve seen in many years.”
She pivoted to contrast Democrats with Republicans, accusing the GOP of embracing white nationalists and refusing to disavow members who voted to overturn the 2020 election. She argued that voters, even in heavily Republican districts, are rallying around Democratic candidates focused on affordability.
“Voters want us focused on making life more affordable for them,” she said.
Hasan Piker Called ‘Stone-Cold Antisemite’
Wasserman Schultz also took aim at progressive streamer Hasan Piker, calling him a “stone-cold antisemite.” She insisted there is “no welcome mat for antisemites and bigots in the Democratic Party” and that the party is unified on that stance.
Her remarks underscore the ongoing tension within the party over how to handle figures with controversial statements related to Israel and antisemitism, particularly in the wake of primary victories by candidates like El-Sayed.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/08/31/wasserman-schultz-el-sayed-has-a-lot-more-work-to-do-on-antisemitism-may-never-get-there/