John Fetterman
Role at the time: United States senator from Pennsylvania, interviewed on Fox News's "America's Newsroom"
Statement summary
On Fox News's "America's Newsroom" on September 2, Sen. John Fetterman offered Abdul El-Sayed $50,000 to hold a rally with Hasan Piker on the anniversary of the September 11 attacks and explain why America deserved them, echoing Piker's 2019 remark. The Washington Examiner reported the total offer reached $100,000, with a second $50,000 tied to El-Sayed appearing with his half-sister, though that portion is reported rather than quoted. Fetterman is among the few Democrats to attack El-Sayed publicly over the association. The framing that El-Sayed would have to explain why America deserved the attacks is Fetterman's rhetorical device, not a position El-Sayed has stated.
“I'm offering $50,000 for you to do a rally with Hasan Piker on 9/11, the anniversary, and you can all explain to people why America deserved that 25 years ago.”
Washington Examiner report of September 2, 2026, 1:08 PM ET, on remarks Sen. John Fetterman made that day on Fox News's "America's Newsroom." The report and its headline describe a total offer of up to $100,000, with a second $50,000 tied to El-Sayed appearing with his half-sister, but the only passage quoted directly is the first offer, which is what is quoted here. The remarks predate both the September 11 anniversary and Piker's September 17 Axios interview, so they respond to the El-Sayed–Piker association and Piker's earlier "America deserved 9/11" remark rather than to the al-Qaeda comparison.
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Fetterman answers that question in the affirmative: his dare treats El-Sayed as answerable for Piker's view, inviting him to explain it alongside him. That places him with Alyssa Brouillet (433), labeled "Defended or excused" for supplying the campaign's rationale for the accusation.