Twitch streamer Hasan Piker is pushing Gen Z boys to the extreme left with twisted views on Israel, 9/11
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.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
3 minutes ago
- Fox News
Zohran Mamdani continues anti-Trump tour in Staten Island
Fox News' Bryan Llenas reports the latest on the mayoral race from New York City.
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Sanctioned West Bank settler kills Palestinian activist featured in 'No Other Land'
Awdah Hathaleen was allegedly shot by Yinon Levi, an extremist sanctioned by the Biden administration, the UK and Canada. Awdah Hathaleen, a Palestinian activist featured in the Oscar-nominated documentary No Other Land, was reportedly killed during clashes with settlers in the village of Umm al-Khair in the West Bank, according to US, Israeli officials, and international organizations. Hathaleen was allegedly shot by Yinon Levi, an extremist previously sanctioned by the Biden administration, the UK and Canada, according to Israeli media reports. Ynet reported that Levi was carrying out construction, and he claimed rioters began throwing stones at him. A judge from the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court ordered Levi to be released from police custody and placed under house arrest, Army Radio reported. Footage published on social media showed protesters blocking bulldozers that had allegedly crossed onto privately owned land. Two additional Palestinians were wounded during the clashes, according to international media. Israel Police confirmed they arrested an Israeli citizen at the scene, and the IDF arrested four Palestinians and two international tourists. Eliram Azulai, head of the Mount Hebron Regional Council said following the reports, "We warned and demanded the creation of security spaces around the settlements, and today we saw with our own eyes the danger that illegal construction creates in the area. I demand that the enforcement authorities eradicate this dangerous phenomenon and take immediate action to enforce illegal construction around the settlements and roads for the safety of our residents." The Carmel yeshuv spokeswoman added, "The settlement will not accept a reality in which a Jew is attacked! Certainly not within the settlement area! The incident here could have ended in the murder of a Jew if he had not defended himself. We call on the enforcement authorities to wake up and immediately remove any illegal construction that closes off the Carmel settlement and endangers lives." International mourning for Awdah Hathaleen While sharing a video of the murder, MK Gilad Kariv slammed National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, alleging his actions had emboldened extremists. "Ben Gvir has paralyzed the police. Katz has blocked the Shin Bet's operations. The army continues to turn a blind eye. In the territories, armedJewish militias operate unchecked," Kariv wrote on X. "The bloodshed is already a terrible disaster and demands action, but let no one be under any illusion—this will not stop at the Green Line." California Congresswoman Rep. Lateefah Simon shared her heartbreak at the news of the murder of the father of three, adding that she had demanded answers from the Trump administration on why Hathaleen was "detained and deported" with his cousin despite holding valid visas. She asserted the need for accountability. Left-wing US-based NGO J Street also released a statement mourning Hathaleen, writing that they were both "heartbroken and horrified" by his murder. J Street wrote that Hathaleen had been a partner of the organization and announced that they would be backing the proposed West Bank Violence Prevention Act in response to the growing number of settler attacks. +972 Magazine also mourned his death, noting his contributions to both the outlet and local education. He taught English after receiving his degree from the University of Hebron. No Other Land For months, the international film community has rallied behind a documentary about the Israeli military's destruction of a Palestinian village in the West Bank that has failed to land a US distributor despite widespread acclaim. Two of the film's four nominated directors are Palestinians who live in the West Bank. Now, 'No Other Land' has another feather in its cap. The movie, co-directed by an Israeli-Palestinian filmmaking collective, received an Oscar nomination for best documentary — a rare feat for an undistributed film. Andrew Lapin/JTA contributed to this report. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Fox News host rages at rising Democrat for accusing him of abruptly ending interview
Fox News' Will Cain fired back at Texas State Rep. James Talarico Tuesday after the rising Democratic star claimed that an intense on-air interview was abruptly ended because the conservative host struggled to answer questions about Republican gerrymandering. 'Trolls distorting the interview is one thing, but you were there,' Cain tweeted at Talarico. 'I respectfully gave you ten minutes, an eternity in cable news.' In recent days, Talarico has served as something of a spokesman for the Texas Democrats who fled the state in an effort to block Republicans from pushing through a redistricting vote that could potentially allow the GOP to pick up five new U.S. House seats. Talarico, along with many of his Democratic colleagues, is currently holed up in Illinois to deny the legislature a quorum. Talarico, who suddenly burst onto the national scene last month following a well-received appearance on Joe Rogan's podcast, appeared on Cain's show to defend the Democrats' decision to flee the Lone Star State. Throughout the interview, which featured Cain repeatedly denouncing the lawmaker for 'abandoning' Texas, Talarico widely condemned redistricting efforts as an attempt to 'rig' elections. Having vehemently defended the Texas GOP's mid-decade gerrymander push by claiming it better reflects the state's overall electorate, Cain accused Talarico of hypocrisy before tossing out a sports analogy. 'You've done something that you say is constitutional, which I'd suggest is pretty radical, which is leaving your office – abandoning your office – in defense of a minority point of view. It's been done in several other states where your party has a majority,' the Fox host declared. 'It's a little bit like taking your basketball and going home when you don't like the way it's played, but when you're winning in Illinois, you're happy to play by these rules.' Once again saying he's 'condemned all gerrymandering across the country,' the Democratic legislator retorted with a question of his own that left the right-wing commentator scuffling. 'When Democrats had a majority in Congress, they voted to ban gerrymandering. Do you know how many of them joined them in that effort?' Talarico asked. 'Which one? I'm sorry, which state did you just refer to?' Cain, after a brief pause, responded. 'I'm asking, do you know how many Republicans joined Democrats in the U.S. Congress to ban gerrymandering? All the Democrats voted for it. Zero Republicans voted for it, zero,' the Democrat shot back. He was apparently referring to the 2021 For the People Act, which would have banned mid-decade redistricting and required independent redistricting commissions. The legislation passed the House but eventually died in the Senate due to a lack of GOP support. 'You can spare me both-sides rhetoric. It's clearly one side that is trying to rig the rules in the middle of the game,' Talarico continued. 'We don't accept cheating in politics and in our relationships. We shouldn't accept cheating it in our elections... We should stand up to politicians that don't want to face accountability at the ballot box. That's what's happening here.' After Cain admitted he was 'unfamiliar' with the details of that legislation, he attempted to corner Talarico on Massachusetts and why the state doesn't have any Republican-held congressional seats despite Donald Trump receiving roughly 35 percent of the vote during the last presidential election. 'In my view, what has happened here is you've done something in certain states, and you don't like it when it's done in Republican states,' Cain proclaimed before referencing California's threat to respond to Texas' redistricting effort with one of its own. 'And now you're saying you've done the same thing as us—you've done the same thing as us—and we are going to, by the way, if you do it, we're going to ratchet it up even more, in the words of Gavin Newsom,' he added. Talarico, however, appeared to turn the tables on the Fox star and stumped him once again. 'My party has never gerrymandered in the middle of the decade at the request of the president of the United States, nor would we. The only way this is going to happen in blue states is if Texas executes this power grab,' he replied. 'You mentioned Massachusetts. Do you know the party of the governor that signed that map into law? He was a Republican. It was a Republican governor that signed that map into law,' Talarico continued, referencing then-Gov. Charlie Baker signing off on Massachusetts' new map in 2021. The Boston Globe has also reported that it is 'practically impossible' to draw a GOP-leaning district in the state due to geography. 'And I asked you if Republican policies are popular, why do they need to redraw these maps? Why can't they just run on their policies?' Talarico then pressed the host, prompting Cain to seemingly tap out. 'I'm getting wrapped on time. I'm enjoying this conversation. I apologize,' Cain said before asking his guest one more question about whether he was receiving any funding from liberal philanthropist George Soros or former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke. With the back-and-forth quickly going viral on social media, Talarico tweeted a clip of Tuesday's exchange and claimed that Cain cut the interview short rather than respond to his questions about the GOP's gerrymandering efforts. 'I just went on Fox News to tell the truth about the redistricting power grab in Texas,' he posted on X. 'I asked a simple question: 'If Republican policies are so popular, why do they need to redraw these maps; why not run on their policies?' He refused to answer — and cut the interview early.' Cain, meanwhile, quickly shot back with a pair of social media posts of his own and accused Talarcio of 'dishonesty,' noting that the conversation ran nearly ten minutes and that the Democrats' pointed question wasn't the reason why the interview wrapped when it did. 'Oh James. Trolls distorting the interview is one thing, but you were there. I respectfully gave you ten minutes, an eternity in cable news. And in all that time you had no answer as to why you've abandoned your job. You can take a flag to IL but you still cut and run from Texas,' he wrote. 'And your dishonesty in suggesting I cut your interview short perfectly illustrates the honesty of your run away from TX,' Cain added. 'I always welcome honest debate but it's clear that's not who you are. Stay in Illinois little Jimmy. Better fit for you than TX.' Meanwhile, Talarico could soon be back in Texas along with his other Democratic colleagues. ABC News reported Tuesday evening that the legislators will return to the state this weekend after GOP Gov. Greg Abbott – who has threatened to arrest the lawmakers and remove them from their seats – ends the special legislative session on Friday. Those plans could change if Republicans go back on their word and call a second special session Friday that would include the redistricting legislation. Abbott, who has also threatened to gerrymander Texas even more in Republicans' favor if other Democratic-led states try to redistrict, said Tuesday morning that he would 'immediately' call another special session after ending the first one.
