Hasan Piker’s Radical Record: Extreme Statements and the Progressive Democrats Who Embrace Him

Documented Radical Statements

• August 2019 Twitch stream (reacting to Rep. Dan Crenshaw on Joe Rogan discussing U.S. bases abroad):

  “America deserved 9/11, dude. Fuck it, I’m saying it.”

  “We fucking totally brought it on ourselves dude… We did, we fucking did.”

  Context/Walkback: Piker later called the wording “inappropriate” on The Young Turks, saying he meant U.S. foreign policy “blowback” rather than that American civilians deserved to die. He has continued to defend the underlying analysis. Twitch issued a one-week suspension.

• Same 2019 stream (on Crenshaw’s combat injury):

  “Didn’t he go to war and like literally lose his eye because some mujahideen — a brave fucking soldier — fucked his eye hole with their dick?”

• On the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks (multiple streams, including May 2024):

  “It doesn’t matter if fucking rapes happened on Oct. 7. That doesn’t change the dynamic for me even this much… The Palestinian resistance is not perfect.”

  He has also described some reports of sexual violence as “rape fantasies” or “rape hallucinations.”

• On Hamas versus Israel:

  “Hamas is a thousand times better than the fascist settler colonial apartheid state.”

  “I would vote for Hamas over Israel every single time.”

  Context: He has stood by and doubled down on these comments in later interviews (including Pod Save America), framing them as “lesser evil”/“harm reduction” analysis.

• On Sen. Rick Scott (2025 stream):

  “If you cared about Medicare fraud, or Medicaid fraud, you would kill Rick Scott.”

  Context: Led to a Twitch suspension; Piker later suggested “MAX PUNISHMENT” instead.

• On landlords:

  “Yeah, kill them. Kill those motherfuckers, murder those motherfuckers in the streets. Let the streets soak in their fucking red capitalist blood, dude.”

• On Hezbollah:

  “I don’t have an issue with them.”

  “Overall, what’s my favorite flag? Hezbollah. Look it up. I’m not even kidding. It’s actually a dope flag. It’s got an AK on it…”

• On Orthodox/Haredi Jews and certain Israeli populations:

  Multiple references describing them as “inbred” (including predictions that Israel would become a nation of “Messianic inbred ultra-Orthodox psychopaths”). Piker has expressed regret for the specific Orthodox usage or claimed it as a general pejorative.

• On Russia’s annexation of Crimea:

  “The annexation of Crimea was absolutely a justifiable annexation.”

These statements are drawn from contemporaneous streams, reporting, and compilations. Piker frequently describes his style as rhetorical, hyperbolic, or intentionally provocative. Critics argue the pattern normalizes political violence, antisemitism (which he rejects, distinguishing anti-Zionism from antisemitism), and anti-American sentiment.

Progressive Democrats and Candidates with Documented Close Ties

Associations are concentrated among progressive and DSA-aligned figures. Many mainstream and centrist Democrats have publicly criticized or rejected ties to Piker.

• Abdul El-Sayed (Michigan Democratic Senate candidate): Extensive joint campaigning and campus rallies in 2026; Piker acted as a high-profile surrogate.

• Zohran Mamdani (New York City Mayor): Strong 2025 campaign support, stream interview, and private Eid dinner (March 2026). Mamdani called the 2019 9/11 remarks “objectionable and reprehensible” but continued the association.

• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: Joint livestream/appearances with Bernie Sanders on the “Fighting Oligarchy” tour. Piker has named her his preferred 2028 presidential candidate.

• Bernie Sanders: Shared stages and interviews during Fighting Oligarchy events and “Tax the Rich” rallies.

• Ro Khanna: Multiple appearances on Piker’s stream; has publicly defended engaging with him.

• Rashida Tlaib and Summer Lee: Shared campaign stages with Piker and El-Sayed in Michigan.

• Additional close associations include Saikat Chakrabarti (House candidate, former AOC chief of staff), Adam Hamawy, Claire Valdez, Darializa Avila Chevalier (DSA-backed New York candidates), and joint events involving Ilhan Omar and others.

These ties have created internal Democratic tension. Progressives often defend engagement as necessary outreach to younger voters. Critics within the party warn that platforming this record damages credibility on national security, antisemitism, and political violence.

The statements are on the record. The associations are documented. Voters and Democratic leaders can decide for themselves whether this represents an acceptable direction for the progressive wing of the party.

Sources

• Washington Free Beacon, Chuck Ross, “From Defending Rape to Excusing 9/11: 10 Statements That Define Mainstream Media Darling Hasan Piker,” December 13, 2025:

  https://freebeacon.com/media/from-defending-rape-to-excusing-9-11-10-statements-that-define-mainstream-media-darling-hasan-piker/

• TheWrap, “Young Turks’ Hasan Piker Says Comment That US ‘Deserved 9/11’ Was ‘Inappropriate,’” August 23, 2019:

  https://www.thewrap.com/tyt-hasan-piker-deserve-sep-eleventh/

• Grabien News transcript/clip of the 2019 stream:

  https://news.grabien.com/story/young-turks-contributor-hasan-piker-says-america-deserved-91

• Anti-Defamation League, “Hasan Piker: What You Need to Know”:

  https://www.adl.org/resources/article/hasan-piker-what-you-need-know

• Politico reporting on Democratic associations and internal party debate (2026):

  https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/28/hasan-piker-democrats-midterms-2028-00849453

• Additional contemporaneous coverage: Kotaku (Twitch suspension), Politifact/AP (El-Sayed campaigning and 9/11 comments), New York Jewish Week/JTA (Mamdani Eid dinner), Pod Save America interviews (Hamas comments), and stream archives documenting Hezbollah, landlord, and “inbred” remarks.