Abdul El-Sayed apologizes for comments he made responding to an attack on a Michigan synagogue

Democrats are defending an open seat following the retirement of Senator Gary Peters, and El-Sayed's candidacy has drawn national attention because of his progressive platform and outspoken criticism of Israeli government policies.

Surrounded by media in a hallway at the Lansing Center, where the convention took place, El-Sayed was peppered with questions from the press about his relationship with far-left online personality Hasan Piker, along with his stance on Israel and Gaza, which has driven a wedge between his campaign and some Democrats, especially Jewish ones.

Michigan is home to roughly 130,000 Indian Americans.

I made a mistake,' the progressive Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan said, referring to remarks he made about a ramming attack on Temple Israel in Bloomfield, claiming it had 'hurt people,' apparently referring to the assailant's family in Lebanon, reportedly killed by the IDF