Cruz-Linked PAC Targets El-Sayed In “Death To America” Ad

A super PAC founded by allies of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) to ostensibly oppose antisemitism in the Republican Party is bankrolling AI-generated TV advertisements pairing Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed with the phrases “death to America” and “celebrate 9/11.”

The Front Line Action, a Texas super PAC, spent over $90,000 on an ad buy opposing El-Sayed on Saturday, according to Federal Election Commission filings reviewed by The Lever . The ad — dubbed “Family Values” — ran in Detroit over the weekend. It features AI-generated video of El-Sayed dancing and posing with members of his extended family and the leftist streamer Hasan Piker, who has become a flashpoint in the race.

A screenshot of The Front Line Action’s new attack ad.

“The destruction of Israel and the West isn't just a game for them — it's a mission,” a narrator says as the El-Sayed caricature laughs.

A disclosure at the end reads: “Created in whole or in part with the use of generative artificial intelligence.”

El-Sayed has faced a barrage of Islamophobic attacks since his high-profile primary victory in August, amid what advocates describe as a wave of anti-Muslim sentiment across U.S. politics, particularly in political advertising.

El-Sayed’s campaign did not immediately return a request for comment on the latest attack ad.

Last October, while addressing the Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual summit in Las Vegas, Cruz ripped into Republican colleagues for allowing antisemitism to fester on the far-right fringe of the GOP.

“We’ve seen three prominent people on the right publicly muse, ‘Gosh, maybe Hitler’s not all that bad,’” said Cruz, adding that if you believe that, “You’re an imbecile.”

SPONSORED

Unknown number calling? It’s not random… Scammers don’t pick phone numbers at random. They buy your data from brokers, leading to phishing, impersonation, and identity theft. Use Incogni to take control of your personal information. Get 55% off for annual plans with coupon code LEVER.

Protect Your Data

In July, allies of Cruz launched a new political operation with the goal of “countering antisemitism within the Republican Party.” The group, The Front Line, would be led by Arielle Klepach, a former federal prosecutor.

As of August, Klepach also worked as senior litigation counsel at the National Jewish Advocacy Center, a legal group that has sided with the Trump administration in court battles related to antisemitism.

When The Lever contacted The Front Line, inquiring about whether the group believed its El-Sayed advertisement exploited anti-Muslim sentiment, Klepach wrote in an email, “Before we comment, please specify which imagery in the advertisement is Islamophobic?”

Klepach did not respond to The Lever ’s additional inquiries.

Via The Front Line Action, The Front Line’s independent expenditure arm, the operation has waded into GOP primaries. In July, it spent $400,000 on advertisements targeting Florida gubernatorial hopeful James Fishback and congressional candidate Dan Bilzerian, both of whom held explicitly fringe and white nationalist views .

The Front Line Action paid for AI-generated videos opposing Bilzerian and Fishback, which ran on Florida airwaves .

But Front Line Action’s involvement in the Michigan race appears to be its first effort to oppose a Democrat, seemingly in contrast with its mission.

Furthermore, while El-Sayed has faced accusations of antisemitism over his criticisms of Israel, he has worked hard to build support within Michigan’s Jewish community. Bilzerian, on the other hand, freely engaged in Holocaust denial during his campaign.

According to federal disclosures , The Front Line Action received $500,000 in July from Truth and Courage PAC, a Cruz-linked Texas super PAC that is also intervening in favor of GOP nominee Ken Paxton in the closely watched Texas Senate race . It also received $300,000 from The Front Line, its sister nonprofit.

The Front Line, as a 501(c)(4), does not have to disclose its donors.