Michigan GOP gubernatorial candidate says state’s elections are ‘ground zero for this republic’

Rep. John James (R-Mich.), who is running for governor in his state, on Sunday called upcoming Michigan elections “ground zero for this republic.”

“We need to make sure that we stop socialism and that we save the state of Michigan, because if we don’t do it here, it’s going to go to the rest of the country,” James told CBS News’s Margaret Brennan on “Face the Nation.”

“They’re campaigning with extremists who say that America deserved 9/11, and I think that coming up on the 25th anniversary of 9/11, these are statements that are way out of bounds and should definitely be clarified,” James said of some Michigan Democratic candidates, referring to 2019 comments from left-wing streamer Hasan Piker.

One of the candidates James was referencing, Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, has previously campaigned with Piker. However, El-Sayed recently said he had “no plans” to campaign with Piker, stepping in line with several Democratic lawmakers who have criticized the streamer over his remarks on American Jews backing Israel.

Piker has a history of controversial statements , including saying in 2019 that “America deserved 9/11,” which the streamer recently said he could have better phrased .

James’s comments come amid recent electoral success for democratic socialist and progressive insurgent candidates like El-Sayed in Democratic primaries, sparking some intraparty tension among Democrats over the future of their party.

El-Sayed himself has said he is not a socialist but has pushed for progressive policies like the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Medicare for All.