Just days after America commemorated the 9/11 attacks that killed 3,000 of its citizens, influencer Hasan Piker declared the United States a greater purveyor of terrorism than the ones who did the deed.
Appearing on “The Axios Show,” Piker, who previously declared “America deserved 9/11,” confirmed his earlier statement that “America is the top dog on terrorism.” Host Alex Thompson followed by asking, “Do you think America is worse than Al-Qaeda?”
His response: “Pound-for-pound, as far as the number of deaths, yes. We have caused tremendous terror all around the world.”
In response to the outcry over his remarks, Piker doubled down on X: “Our elites terrorize the entire world while ordinary Americans continue to foot the bill. we spent trillions ‘fighting’ the terror we created to provide cover for our oil barons stealing 3rd world resources.”
While the sentiment is little surprise coming from someone who’s declared “America deserved 9/11,” Heritage Action noted the bigger issue with Piker’s beliefs. “He’s not an outlier,” Heritage Action posted on X. “He’s a reflection of what the modern Democrat Party has become and who it chooses to elevate.”
Piker has made multiple joint appearances with potential 2028 presidential candidate Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and has spoken at the AOC-Sen. Bernie Sanders “Tax the Rich” rallies. The Twitch podcaster was an early backer of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and attended his victory party. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., has argued Democrats should engage with Piker rather than cancel him.
Most notably, Piker campaigned at the side of Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed. Now in the heat of a tight Senate race against Republican Mike Rogers, El-Sayed is trying to distance himself from the influencer. Whereas just months ago, El-Sayed flew Piker in for a campaign event, now El-Sayed is describing him in a statement to Axios as a “social media streamer” whose words don’t “carry much weight” with him.
“I do not agree with this statement [on al-Qaeda], nor do I give much weight to the statements made by a social media streamer,” he said. “I am more concerned with the dangerous policies of Donald Trump and Mike Rogers that are raising the prices of gas, groceries and healthcare for Michiganders.”
Rogers has repeatedly tied his opponent to the antisemitic, anti-American Piker, describing him at last week’s Republican National Committee Midterm Convention as El-Sayed’s “chosen” “running mate,” adding that “together, they attack America, excuse extremism, and treat our country like the villain.”
Echoing Heritage Action, Democrat Sen. John Fetterman, whose strong support of Israel and calls for common sense has made him an outcast within his caucus, sees Piker’s impact on his party.
“I think I’ve lost to Piker,” Fetterman told the Washington Examiner. “Democrats love him. They campaign with him and they defend him.”
