Latest news with #Piker
New York Post
a day ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Twitch streamer Hasan Piker is pushing Gen Z boys to the extreme left with twisted views on Israel, 9/11
The moral panic about Andrew Tate and his influence on young men has been massive — but what about the leftist, socialist and arguably antisemitic mega-streamer influencing millions of predominantly young male followers? Hasan Piker, known to his 2.9 million Twitch followers as HasanAbi, appeals to the same 'bro' demographic as stereotypical right-leaning manosphere influencers — popping nicotine pouches, gaming on livestream and hitting up the gym as well as gun ranges — but he sells a very different ideology. The 33-year-old New Jersey born streamer, who recently showed up at anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles in a bulletproof vest, has self-described as leftist, socialist and anti-capitalist. He holds enormous cultural sway with the Zoomers who flock to Twitch, a platform with more users in the 16- to 24-year-old demo than any other. Advertisement 8 Hasan Piker has more than 7 million followers across Twitch, X, Instagram, and YouTube. AP Parents should have their eye on Piker, who has told his 7.3 million followers across platforms — multiple times — that America 'deserved 9/11' and that Jews are 'inbred.' He is truly indefatigable and on Twitch for seven, eight, nine hours day, at least six days a week. As of June 18, Piker's only taken two days off since the month started, and streamed more than 10 hours on June 8. Advertisement Set up at his home monitor, the streamer flips through news clips and articles, from Al Jazeera to Fox News, and occasionally films himself gaming or giving dating advice. He will usually rack up more than a million views over the course of a stream. 8 Piker has said that America 'deserved 9/11' and that Jews are 'inbred.' Instagram/@hasandpiker Piker's stamina is matched only by that of his fans, who flood the comments at breakneck speed. 'May Allah awaken President Xi and allow him to see the evil doing of Israel and the United States,' one commenter said on a recent stream. Another chimed in when Piker showed a clip from Fox News: 'In a just world Fox News in its entirety would be lined up in the Hague for these lies and propaganda.' Advertisement Even after Piker logs off his hours-long video feed, the messages keep pouring in. In a recent livestream discussing Israel's conflict with Iran, he called Israel 'the giant baby nation with nuclear arms' and said its 'existence is a great shame and a serious stain.' 8 Hasan Piker suggested that the May Israeli Embassy shooting could have been a false flag operation. YouTube/HasanAbi Piker also suggested the May 21 Capital Jewish Museum shooting in DC, which left two young Israeli embassy staffers dead, was a 'false flag operation.' 'Every single thing that [accused shooter Elias Rodriguez] did in the aftermath of the shooting is so f–king crazy that it's like, you could not have designed a f–king incident like this,' he said on his livestream. Advertisement Major political figures on the left are clamoring to sit down with him. 8 Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez appeared on Piker's livestream in March. HasanAbi/YouTube Pike got both AOC and Bernie Sanders on camera for an interview together in March, during which he gifted Rep. Ocasio-Cortez a booklet on the pro-Palestinian solidarity movement in Japan. In a recent interview with NYC democratic socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, the pair discussed government-run housing and supermarkets, free public transport and criminal justice reform. 'I want Austrian style, Red Vienna, 65% of the entire city is just peppered with government housing, that's what I want,' Piker said as they bonded over donuts. 8 Piker interviewed Zohran Mamdani, NYC's democratic socialist mayoral candidate. HasanAbi/YouTube 'Let's talk about the unheard minority, the marginalized, people of wealth — POW — I feel like they're getting a hard bargain here with you,' Piker joked. 'Meritocracy, obviously real, Elon Musk worked the smartest and the hardest. Why do you hate the successful, wealthy people?' Meanwhile, Piker drives a $200,000 Porsche Taycan and lives in a nearly $3 million, 3,800 square foot West Hollywood home. Advertisement He was launched into popular consciousness via a strange and somewhat eroticized New York Times profile in April, with the headline 'A Progressive Mind in a MAGA Body.' 8 Piker owns an airsoft gun and occasionally posts photos from gun ranges. Instagram/@hasandpiker 'Mr. Piker's success on camera, in some part, has been aided by the fact that he is, by conventional standards, a very handsome man,' the profile fawned. 'He is 6 feet 4 inches tall and built like a professional athlete, with a square jaw, a beard and a head of thick dark hair.' While parents should laugh off the drooling, they'd be remiss to dismiss Piker's influence on young men who see him as aspirational. Advertisement He's a different kind of male role model than popular-right wing influencers — the sort who tells reporters at pro-Palestine rallies that 'a strong man protects those who can't protect themselves' and whose fans search desperately for a workout routine to achieve his physique. 8 Young male followers praise Piker (right) for his physique, which has inspired some to seek out his workout routine. @hasandpiker/Instagram There's a simplistic narrative that young men are moving to the right politically while young women are going to the left. While this might be more true of Gen Z than with prior generations, the fact of the matter is, kids are liable to go down any number of online rabbit holes. I know this as a Zoomer who grew up with YouTube and, as a tween and young teen, was led to the right and to the left at various times by algorithmic feedback loops. Piker's socialism isn't exactly fringe in Gen Z. A 2022 Pew poll found more 18- to 29-year-olds had a positive view of socialism (44%) than capitalism (40%), and a 2024 YouGov survey found 25% of that same age group had a positive view of communism. Advertisement 8 Piker streams up to 10 hours a day, at least six days a week, on Twitch. Instagram/@hasandpiker It's easier today than ever for a kid who's learning about the world to attach to a couple online voices — whether Andrew Tate or Hasan Piker — as portals to the outside world they're desperate to make sense of. While the mainstream media has its panties in a bunch over influencers turning young men conservative, they're writing fawning puff pieces about the radical left-wing streamers pushing youth to the opposite extreme. We should be equally concerned about kids getting radicalized in any direction — and all play our part in modeling skepticism, critical thinking and media literacy for a generation growing up in the internet age.
Boston Globe
7 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Who said it: Tucker Carlson or Rashida Tlaib?
Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up Advertisement The Islamic Republic of Iran? Pfffft, you don't have to worry about those guys! It used to be that only lefty champions against islamophobia could see the Supreme Leader's chants of 'Death to America' as cries of resistance against Western colonialism. But these days, some folks on the right seem to see the bright side of the mullahs, too. Like Matt Walsh, a conservative podcaster, culture warrior, and commentator for the Daily Wire. Walsh posted that Iran 'does not pose any credible threat to the United States,' which is an interesting take given his deep fear of immigrant labor. A regime with the goal of destroying the West has nothing on the dangers to Americans of Advertisement Iran does not pose any credible threat to the United States. We do not need to get involved in yet another war in the Middle East for reasons that have nothing to do with defending our own nation. — Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) If you're still a bit nervous that a regime that calls us the Big Satan might still be a threat after decades of dodging nuclear restraint, don't worry — there's bipartisan agreement that we're all good! In fact, some liberal personalities think that Iran's proxies can do some good. Hyper conservative podcaster Matt Walsh, meet hyper liberal podcaster Hasan Piker. The left is eyeing Piker as a rising star in the war to win over young men. Problem is, Piker has a few hot takes — like the fact that Iran's terrorist proxies are a force for 'resistance.' During one of his As far as I know, Mandela didn't kill hundreds of Americans. But hey, it's all about the resistance. the media is already working in real time to manufacture consent for how israel is still the victim after its direct strike on iran. — hasanabi (@hasanthehun) Bibi Netanyahu: The enemy — on the left, and the right Who knew Representative Rashida Tlaib, the Democrat from Michigan, and Tucker Carlson had so much in common! Maybe on Tucker's next podcast, they could talk about how an ally that eliminated an impending nuclear threat is the real enemy. The Israeli government bombing Iran is a dangerous escalation that could lead to regional war. War Criminal Netanyahu will do anything to maintain his grip on power. We cannot let him drag our country into a war with Iran. Our government must stop funding and supporting this… — Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (@RepRashida) Whatever you think of tariffs, it's clear that now is the worst possible time for the United States to participate in a military strike on Iran. We can't afford it. Thousands of Americans would die. We'd lose the war that follows. Nothing would be more destructive to our country.… — Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) Fiscal restraint is IN on the left Everyone knows that Thomas Massie, a small-government conservative representative from Kentucky, is worried about spending the American tax dollar. So is his libertarian-minded compatriot, Republican Senator Rand Paul, also of Kentucky. Israel doesn't need US taxpayers' money for defense if it already has enough to start offensive wars. I vote not to fund this war of aggression. — Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) The American people overwhelming oppose our endless wars, and they voted that way when they voted for Donald Trump in 2024. I urge President Trump to stay the course, keep putting America first, and to not join in any war between other countries. Every American should hope and… — Rand Paul (@RandPaul) But did you know that the progressive squad member Ilhan Omar is also worried about your tax dollars? Regardless of what Trump thinks, Israel knows America will do whatever they want and feels confident about their ability to get into war and have the American government back them up. Israel also knows they can always rely on getting America to protect and serve its needs.… — Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) I certainly appreciate fiscal restraint in my lawmakers. That all comes down to prioritizing essential versus nonessential. This crew can't seem to agree on entitlement spending. But when it comes to Advertisement Especially as Republicans surge with working-class voters, it isn't surprising to see more right-wing voices questioning foreign entanglements. What is surprising is just how much those voices sound like their counterparts on the left — the same people that right-wing personalities have dubbed anti-American for years. And still, figures like Tucker Carlson and Matt Walsh present themselves as true patriots, as truly America First. And they seem to think that by ignoring the rest of the world, and just focusing on domestic issues, that America will be safer. But there's an issue with that analysis. The Islamic Republic is a regime that is built on the desire to destroy America — and it sure isn't going to ignore us. Carine Hajjar is a Robert Novak Fellow with the Fund for American Studies. Carine Hajjar is a Globe Opinion writer. She can be reached at
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘That f***ed my hair up': Twitch streamer Hasan Piker stunned by flashbang in LA riots
Twitch streamer Hasan Piker was caught up in the Los Angeles riots, with footage capturing the moment he was disoriented by loud flashbangs. Piker, who lives in LA and is known for posting YouTube videos under the moniker 'HasanAbi', was interrogated by border agents last month upon returning from overseas over his anti-Trump political views. On Monday, photos and footage of him attending the protests were shared on social media. 'They're firing into the crowd now. I don't think that's fireworks, buddy,' Piker is heard saying as he streamed from the scene. 'They're already deploying flashbangs. Not great. Look, what they're going to try and do is close down the other side of the road,' he said while standing in a throng of protestors on a highway underneath a bridge. 'I think they're going to push in from this side of the road. Oh ****, oh *****. That *f***ed my hair up,' he adds as loud bangs are heard. Piker continues to walk through the crowd, as the loud bangs continue and fans are seen approaching him to shake his hand and take selfies. The riots erupted on Friday after federal immigration officers arrested large groups of undocumented immigrants in areas of the city with large Latino populations. What began as a peaceful protest has since escalated with dozens of arrests and reports of looting. President Donald Trump responded to the riots by deploying 2,000 National Guard troops to the city, followed by 700 marines on Monday. California Governor Gavin Newsom slammed his decision, calling it 'reckless' and 'pointless,' claiming that only a few hundred of the original Guard troops have been deployed, despite the president's insistence that thousands are there. Newsom has said that California will sue the government for its deployment of the National Guard to quell the protests. 'Donald Trump has created the conditions you see on your TV tonight. He's exacerbated the conditions. He's, you know, lit the proverbial match. 'He's putting fuel on this fire, ever since he announced he was taking over the National Guard — an illegal act, an immoral act, an unconstitutional act,' Newsom said on MSNBC Sunday evening.
New York Post
26-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Left-wing influencer Hasan Piker gloats as he returns to Twitch after being yanked for comments about DC Jewish museum shooting
Lefty influencer Hasan Piker is gloating after his Twitch streaming account was reinstated in just 24 hours following his suspension for suggesting last week's murder of two Israeli diplomats at the Jewish museum in Washington, DC, resembled a 'false flag' operation. The streamer and Democrat darling took to X seemingly to confirm that his suspension for 'Improper Handling of Terrorist Propaganda' had been brought to an end. 3 Lefty streamer Hasan Piker has been reinstated on Twitch after the platform yanked him over comments surrounding the DC Jewish museum shooting. Instagram/@hasandpiker Advertisement 3 Piker took to social media to gloat after he was reinstated. Instagram/@hasandpiker The post, repurposing a popular meme, shows a picture of a man in a hospital bed with a text bubble underneath. 'I lived bitch,' the text reads. Advertisement Piker, who streams on Twitch to his 2.8 million followers, sparked outrage over the weekend when he claimed the deaths of two Israeli Embassy staffers last Wednesday had all the hallmarks of a 'false flag operation,' a term used for an action staged to look as if it was carried out by a different group to pin the blame on them. 'I'm not 'Mr. False Flag' at all, but, like, every single thing that [Rodriguez] did in the aftermath of the shooting is so f–king crazy that it's like, you could not have designed a f–king incident like this,' he said. 3 Yaron LIschinsky and Sarah Milgrim were murdered outside the DC Jewish museum last week. Obtained by NYPost. 'You could not have decided a better false flag incident like this,' he said in the live stream, which was also shared to his 1.6 million YouTube followers on Friday.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Far-left streamer Hasan Piker suspended from Twitch after broadcasting DC shooting suspect's manifesto
One of Twitch's most popular streamers was suspended from the platform over the weekend for reading the manifesto of the suspect in the killing of two Israeli Embassy staffers last week. Hasan Piker, a streamer with nearly 3 million Twitch followers and 1.6 million YouTube subscribers, is known for broadcasting far-left content under the handle HasanAbi. In a May 23 YouTube video titled "What People Miss About The DC Israeli Embassy Shooting," Piker went through the manifesto of Elias Rodriguez word for word. Rodriguez was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and multiple firearm-related counts after Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim were killed outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night. In the video, Piker expressed a desire to "understand the mindset" of Rodriguez, who shouted "Free, free Palestine!" as he was arrested. "The reason why I read this manifesto … is oftentimes to understand the mindset of this person, especially when there are a lot of mainstream narratives that will immediately design an alternative scenario," Piker said in the video. 'Cheerleading For Terrorism': Twitch Star Called For New 9/11, Dismissed Horror Of Oct 7 Read On The Fox News App "I don't think that this person acted out on an antisemitic desire or is a f---ing Nazi or anything like that, but that is dangerous in a separate way," he continued. "The very fact that a person who is this legible, who has their s--t together enough to be able to write a f---ing, write prose such as this one, in the act of vengeance, in the acts of vigilante justice in his own mind, is meaningful in and of itself." Piker disputed claims that the shooter, who killed the victims outside an event held by the American Jewish Committee, was antisemitic – despite the fact that Lischinsky was an Israeli Christian and Milgrim was an American Jew. The pair worked together and planned to marry. "The idea that this is a neo-Nazi that came after Jewish people, deliberately looking for Jews to kill, like all of that stuff, is incorrect," Piker said. "This is not a value judgment on the actions of the shooter, but it's obvious that this was a person that was brain-broken by a lot of the realities that are unfolding in Gaza." In a Saturday post on X, Piker announced the suspension and shared an email from Twitch. The email stated that Piker violated a rule about the improper handling of terrorist propaganda content. "Based on a review of your activity or content, we have issued a global suspension on your account," the Twitch email said. "As a result, your access to Twitch services is temporarily restricted. Please be aware that repeated violations may lead to more serious actions on your account, including longer temporary suspensions or permanent suspension." In response, Piker claimed that Twitch's terms of service "dictates a suspension for even critical examination of the manifesto." Tim Walz And Aoc Play Madden On Twitch In Attempt To Appeal To Young Male Voters "i believe this is a bad policy for news and press freedom," Piker's post read. "ill take the suspension, but hope twitch changes this policy in the future." Piker has been known for creating extremist content in the past. He has regularly broadcast propaganda from the Houthis, an Iranian-backed group in Yemen that has been designated by the U.S. as a terrorist group, and claimed that "America deserved 9/11" during a 2019 stream. In March, Piker was temporarily suspended from Twitch after making a comment about murdering Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla. "They're not tackling providers; they're not actually going after false billing. They are trying to cut recipients. [Fraud] is not happening at the point of recipient. If you cared about Medicare fraud or Medicaid fraud, you would kill Rick Scott," Piker said. The political commentator later walked back the statements, telling his social media followers that he was "sorry" over the incident. Click To Get The Fox News App "I'll choose my words carefully next time and say, 'if Mike Johnson cares abt (sic) medicare fraud (since he wants to cut 800m from Medicaid/Medicare) he'd call for MAX PUNISHMENT for current fl gop senator/former gov Rick Scott- who has done the most Medicare fraud in us history!'" Piker's post read. Fox News Digital's Nikolas Lanum contributed to this article source: Far-left streamer Hasan Piker suspended from Twitch after broadcasting DC shooting suspect's manifesto
