SAUGATUCK, Mich. (AP) — When Democrats gathered this week in a West Michigan congressional district they're trying to flip blue, they wanted to talk about the cost of living under President Donald Trump. But it didn't take long for the conversation to turn to a controversy dividing their party.
One attendee chided U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten for failing to support Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed.
“Your inflammatory rhetoric has nothing to do with creating a better economic future for the people of West Michigan, and everything to do with protecting the pipeline of our tax dollars to Israel,” the woman said.
The exchange captured a problem confronting Democrats as they head toward November. Party leaders believe concerns about the economy have given them an opening to win control of Congress, but internal divisions are making it harder to keep the focus there.
Nowhere is that tension more pronounced than Michigan, where Democrats are trying to regroup after a bruising Senate primary that El-Sayed won over U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens earlier this month. Disputes over Israel, antisemitism and El-Sayed’s association with controversial online commentator Hasan Piker have complicated the party’s effort to turn its attention to Republican Mike Rogers.
With the election fast approaching, Scholten and some other Democrats have withheld their support for El-Sayed for now.
“I think it’s up to the top of the ticket to unify the top of the ticket,” Scholten said Tuesday.
El-Sayed, who would be the country's first Muslim senator, has denounced antisemitism while fiercely criticizing Israel for its military operations in Gaza.
Some members of his party have balked at his rhetoric.
Michigan state Rep. Jeremy Moss, the Democratic nominee for a House seat outside Detroit, has also withheld his support. In an interview with The Atlantic’s David Frum released Wednesday, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, who is Jewish, said El-Sayed should not “make excuses” for domestic terrorism.
She was referencing a video statement he put out in March following an attack on Temple Israel synagogue outside Detroit when he said “hurt people hurt people.”
Some Democrats outside Michigan have gone further in criticizing El-Sayed.
“There’s no way I’m ever coming out for El-Sayed, right now,” New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer said on CNN, adding that El-Sayed has “refused to back off his views towards Jewish Americans.”
El-Sayed’s appearances on the campaign trail with Piker have become a particular flashpoint in the disagreement. Piker is a popular streamer with a history of controversial remarks that include saying America “deserved 9/11.”
Piker recently became embroiled in controversy again when he argued against the idea that opposing Israel is antisemitic. American Jews are not uniformly supportive of Israel, he said, but many “Jewish institutions” are “teaching people the idea that Jews are monolithic” and “it's a very dangerous mode of propaganda.”
“If Jews in America keep putting this idea out there that they are singularly invested in Israel, eventually someone is going to come around and take action, not against the state of Israel mind you, but against American Jews,” he said.
The backlash was swift among Democrats, with critics saying Piker was suggesting that American Jews who support Israel were inviting violence.
"Hasan Piker’s dangerous and hateful language targeting Jewish Americans has no place in our civic discourse," Sen. Cory Booker, a Democrat from New Jersey, wrote on social media. “Suggesting that Jewish Americans bear responsibility for hatred or violence directed against them is wrong, dangerous, and antisemitic.”
Piker rejected that interpretation in a phone interview, saying he was warning that associating American Jews broadly with Israel’s actions could fuel antisemitism, much as Muslims in the United States have been associated with Islamic terrorist groups.
He said he was never particularly close with El-Sayed’s campaign — despite appearing with him at various events during the primary — and said that he did not want the race to become a conversation about him. He said he did not regret the remarks, however.
“I’m just a platform, I’m just a megaphone for people’s anger and frustration,” Piker said. “Even if I was going to go away tomorrow, I don’t think this problem would go away for our politicians.”
While El-Sayed has put some distance between himself and Piker amid the controversies, he has refused to cut ties completely. In a statement, he said “nobody speaks for this campaign besides me and my campaign spokesperson.”
Republicans see an opportunity in the continued dispute.
“It’s great,” said Republican strategist Jason Roe. “You can tell these Democrats are not going to distance themselves. Piker is to Democrats what Trump is to Republicans. You embrace him, it’s not helpful, and distance is also not helpful.”
Democrats who have rallied behind El-Sayed are increasingly eager to move beyond the fight.
“I am done. So don’t any reporter ask me again about Hasan Piker. It’s not what November is about,” Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell said Wednesday. “I don’t agree with Hasan Piker on a lot of stuff.”
She appeared alongside El-Sayed and U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland at a campaign event in Ann Arbor on Wednesday. The day prior, El-Sayed stood beside Eli Savit, the Democratic nominee for attorney general, and Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II, the party’s nominee for secretary of state, at a press conference.
Democrats who have backed El-Sayed argue that the party is largely unified and that the remaining disagreements are a natural part of moving beyond a contentious primary. Raskin, who is Jewish, described it as a “process that we go through” after the primary.
“The Democratic Party is a big, sometimes an unruly family, but we’re all going to be together in the end,” Raskin said.
Michigan Democrats from across the state are expected to gather this weekend for a convention in Lansing to finalize the party's November ticket. Ahead of the convention, all the party's nominees and party chair, Curtis Hertel, sent a letter saying that “disruptive behavior or harassment of any kind will not be tolerated."
“This convention is our moment to celebrate our candidates,” the letter read.
El-Sayed at Wednesday's event in Ann Arbor expressed frustration with the continued focus on Piker.
“You would think if you turn on any media that this whole campaign is about a streamer in California,” El-Sayed said at the Ann Arbor event. He added that he’s “less interested in going to the sort of tabloid version of our politics where we cover this like, who’s in, who’s out, who’s up, who’s down, who’s talking to who?”
But El-Sayed acknowledged that some Democrats have yet to put the primary behind them.
“There are a few people who are still nursing wounds or grievances from the primary,” El-Sayed said. “I get it. Losing is hard.”
Associated Press reporter Jesse Bedayn contributed to this report.
Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate Abdul El-Sayed speaks at a news conference at the base of the Spirit of Detroit monument in Detroit, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
NEW YORK (AP) — Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik won the U.S. Open mixed doubles title on Wednesday night, beating Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli 6-3, 1-6 (10-6).
The Czech duo pulled out match tiebreakers in both matches on the second night of the two-day event, helped by Mensik's powerful serve combined with some good hands near the net. He put away the final with an ace to earn $1 million for him and Muchova to share.
They were a point from losing in the semifinals, erasing two match points and running off the final four to edge Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev 5-4 (6), 3-5 (11-9).
Wearing the same pink tops and maroon bottoms they settled on when Mensik texted Muchova on the eve of the tournament to coordinate their outfits, the Czechs blasted their way out of trouble whenever they faced tough times.
“I think at the end, really the matching outfit made the difference for us,” Muchova said.
They looked good. Now they look like a million bucks.
The final was the only match of the tournament that resembled a regular match, with standard sets to six games and a tiebreaker at 6-all. Through the first three rounds, sets were to four games, with a tiebreaker at 4-all.
Bencic and Cobolli rallied to end the run of spouses Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils in the first semifinal with a 4-5 (7), 4-1 (10-5) victory.
They appeared headed toward a matchup with Andreeva and Rublev, who were smiling and pumping their fists after opening the lead in the match tiebreaker. Muchova flung her racket to the court in disgust after missing a volley that gave the Russians a 7-5 lead.
But the Wimbledon women’s runner-up never lost belief, thanks in part to her hard-serving partner, a French Open semifinalist who will turn 21 next week.
Bencic and Cobolli knocked Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz out of the tournament Tuesday in the quarterfinals.
Then they dropped a set for the first time in the tournament in the semis, but began to dominate midway through the second set, winning the final 11 points to force the match tiebreaker.
It was the second year of the new format in mixed doubles, with the event shortened and moved to the week before the singles main draw begins, with the U.S. Tennis Association hoping that would get top singles players to compete.
Plenty of top names did compete but much of the star power, including Williams and Alcaraz, went out early. Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic lost their opening match, as did Alex Eala and Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz.
That could explain a good number of empty seats in Ashe, particularly after both semifinals went the distance and pushed the start of the final back toward nearly 11 p.m. EDT.
None of the teams featuring doubles specialists survived to the final four, leaving an opening for some players still seeking Grand Slam glory such as Rublev, who has fallen 10 times in major quarterfinals.
Svitolina and Monfils, who have both reached the U.S. Open singles semifinals, accepted a wild card to team up for the first time. Married since 2021, they were trying to win a championship in the final appearance in a Grand Slam tournament for Monfils, who will turn 40 on Sept. 1, before he retires.
They pulled out a back-and-forth tiebreaker in the first set in which they blew a 4-0 lead, then erased two set points. They went ahead 8-7 when Bencic tried to hit a cross-court backhand but nailed Cobolli, who had strayed into the middle. Cobolli then double-faulted to lose the set.
He recovered with consecutive volley winners to break Svitolina’s serve for a 2-1 lead in the second set. The match tiebreaker was tied at 2 but swung the way of Bencic and Cobolli when Svitolina was just wide on three straight shots.
See AP’s full tennis coverage here
Jakub Mensik, of the Czech Republic, left celebrates with Karolina Muchova, of the Czech Republic, after they won the mixed doubles final match against Belinda Bencic, of Switzerland, and Flavio Cobolli, of Italy, at the U.S. Open tennis championships Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Jakub Mensik, of the Czech Republic, celebrates after he and Karolina Muchova, of the Czech Republic, defeated Belinda Bencic, of Switzerland, and Flavio Cobolli, of Italy, in the mixed doubles final match at the U.S. Open tennis championships Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Jakub Mensik, of the Czech Republic, celebrates with Karolina Muchova, right, of the Czech Republic, after they won the mixed doubles final match against Belinda Bencic, of Switzerland, and Flavio Cobolli, of Italy, at the U.S. Open tennis championships Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Belinda Bencic, right, of Switzerland, and Flavio Cobolli, of Italy, sit between sets while competing against Jakub Mensik, of the Czech Republic, and Karolina Muchova, of the Czech Republic, during the mixed doubles final match at the U.S. Open tennis championships Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Jakub Mensik, left, of the Czech Republic, and Karolina Muchova, of the Czech Republic, react during the mixed doubles final match against Belinda Bencic, of Switzerland, and Flavio Cobolli, of Italy, at the U.S. Open tennis championships Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Jakub Mensik, left, of the Czech Republic, and Karolina Muchova, of the Czech Republic, react during the mixed doubles final match against Belinda Bencic, of Switzerland, and Flavio Cobolli, of Italy, at the U.S. Open tennis championships Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Karolina Muchova, left, of the Czech Republic, returns the ball while competing with Jakub Mensik, of the Czech Republic, against Mirra Andreeva, of Russia, and Andrey Rublev, of Russia, during a mixed doubles semifinal match at the U.S. Open tennis championships Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Elina Svitolina, of Ukraine, reacts after missing a shot while competing with and Gael Monfils, of France, against Belinda Bencic, of Switzerland, and Flavio Cobolli, of Italy, during a mixed doubles semifinal match at the U.S. Open tennis championships Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Elina Svitolina, of Ukraine, and Gael Monfils, left, of France, react while competing against Belinda Bencic, of Switzerland, and Flavio Cobolli, of Italy, during a mixed doubles semifinal match at the U.S. Open tennis championships Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Belinda Bencic, left, of Switzerland, and Flavio Cobolli, of Italy, react while competing against Elina Svitolina, of Ukraine, and Gael Monfils, of France, during a mixed doubles semifinal match at the U.S. Open tennis championships Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Belinda Bencic, of Switzerland, and Flavio Cobolli, of Italy, left, celebrate after defeating Elina Svitolina, of Ukraine, and Gael Monfils, of France, in a mixed doubles semifinal match at the U.S. Open tennis championships Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
