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Hasan Piker hears the growing chorus of Democrats condemning him for incendiary statements, and he has a message for the party: “My job is not to make the Democratic Party look good.”
The far-left Twitch streamer has boosted socialist candidates even as he created headaches for the broader Democratic Party in a midterm election cycle where it hopes to make major gains. The 35-year-old Piker — whose polarizing stances range from defending communist Chinese dictator Mao Zedong to comparing Zionism to “Nazism” — is a darling of the Democratic Socialists of America, but a potential liability for mainstream Democrats as November approaches.
Piker said Democratic Party officials have not reached out to coordinate a strategy.
“I have not had a conversation with anyone from the DNC,” Piker said. “That would be very funny.”
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In an exclusive interview at the 2026 Socialism Conference in Chicago, Piker told that, while he tries “to be as careful as possible” when it comes to choosing his words, his hours-long streams present his opponents with the “perfect opportunity to create viral media moments.”
Twitch streamer Hasan Piker appeared on the campaign trail with Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo)
Some of those moments include intense backlash over Piker’s 2019 statement that America “deserved 9/11,” a comment which has been widely condemned by politicians on both sides of the aisle.
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Piker acknowledged that he should not have used the word “deserved,” but said his point was that “[America’s] meddling in the affairs in the Middle East actually transpired these horrifying events.”
“It’s not a controversial thing [to argue],” Piker said. “It was the language that I used that was controversial.”
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Piker’s brash commentary gives him credence with the far-left DSA, which pulled off a host of primary victories against more moderate Democrats, but party elders have disavowed him.
Democratic strategist James Carville sharply criticized far-left Democrats for targeting longtime incumbents in primary elections in a video posted Friday for Politicon. (Politicon/YouTube)
“There’s two things that I know about Hasan Piker,” longtime Democratic Party consultant James Carville told Channel last week. “One, he’s an idiot, and two, he’s not a Democrat. So, I don’t answer for idiots, and I don’t answer for people who are not Democrats.”
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Key Democrat lawmakers, including House Minority Leader Hakeen Jeffries, senators Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., and several House members have condemned Piker’s past rhetoric.
As he crosses the country, joining campaign rallies and canvass launches for liberal challengers to establishment-backed candidates, Piker acknowledged that even his allies have urged him to moderate his rhetoric for the sake of their electoral chances.
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But Piker told the press is overstating his association with the progressive political candidates and wondered why the media had not “demanded condemnations from establishment Republicans for collaborating with Charlie Kirk or using him as a campaign surrogate.”
Piker campaigned hard for Abdul El-Sayed, the progressive Michigan Democratic Senate nominee who pulled off a major upset victory against the establishment-backed Rep. Haley Stevens, D- Mich., in August. While his active support for El-Sayed may have generated buzz among Piker’s base, it’s also led El-Sayed to face a barrage of questions and criticism about his association with Piker.
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Piker said that while he is confident El-Sayed – who distanced himself from Piker in recent weeks – will win this fall, “if people want to blame me” in the event El-Sayed loses, “they can blame me,” adding, “I think that’s the goal.”
Hasan Piker named Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as his preferred presidential candidate over a slate of high-profile Democrats. (Getty Images)
Piker’s role in the midterms may prove to be a warmup for the 2028 presidential election, and he said he has no plans to moderate his stances or stay on the sidelines. He said he will back socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. if she launches a bid for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination.
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“I think she’s great,” Piker said. “She would have some difficulties, of course, but hurdles can be climbed over, and I think she can do it.”
Piker believes his influence will continue to grow, and predicted even Democrats now condemning him will “try to utilize the platform that I have” if they seek higher office in 2028.
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“And I’m not talking about my ideological allies or people who are associated with me right now,” he added.
