NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Hasan Piker is a self-described Marxist who lives in a multimillion-dollar condo in West Hollywood, drives a Mercedes, and makes millions of dollars each year spewing hateful comments about America, capitalism, and, of course, Israel. He was born in New Jersey to a wealthy family, grew up in Türkiye and says he is a non-practicing Muslim. That’s all. He has not developed a new political philosophy, created a groundbreaking technology, led a major organization, or served in our country’s military. He is neither a thought leader nor a particularly witty speaker. However, he has amassed millions of followers on Twitch, a platform used primarily by video game enthusiasts, saying outrageous things like “America deserved 9/11.” Most people have never heard of Piker, but suddenly stories about him are everywhere. Rolling Stone, for example, published a fawning article describing Piker as a “hot, sexy progressive icon who has an exceptional talent for translating radical left politics for Generation Z’s brethren.” Piker is the new favorite of the radical left, campaigning with people like Abdul El-Sayed, who is running for an open Senate seat in Michigan, and is the favorite of progressives like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. However, Democrats are divided over how to handle Piker. On the one hand, his self-absorbed, F-bomb-laden comment offends most people. On the other, it appeals to a cohort that Democrats are desperately trying to court: young men. President Trump made gains among numerous Democratic-aligned groups in 2016 and 2024, but none were more consequential than his appeal to young men. In 2024, Trump won men by 12 points after winning that cohort by just 2 points in 2020. Men ages 18-49 chose Trump by 1 point after choosing former President Joe Biden by 10 points in 2020. The Democratic Party’s “me too”-fueled bullying feminism, which hates “toxic masculinity,” has understandably alienated America’s young men. In recent years, we’ve tried to reverse those losses by inventing gimmicks aimed at attracting Millennial men (ages 29 to 45) and members of Generation Z (ages 13 to 29). Kamala Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, set out to show off his passionate hunting prowess in the Midwest during the 2024 presidential campaign, but couldn’t carry a shotgun; They further humiliated him by making a video of him tinkering with his International Harvester Scout engine like, you know, a real man, but with squeaky clean hands. The same search has led Democrats to look to tough candidates like Graham Platner, their choice to run against Sen. Susan Collins in Maine. Platner had it all: an oysterman and veteran who was described by GQ as “the virile, earthy worker that many male politicians wish they were.” Because he fit the script so perfectly, Democrats forgave Platner many peccadilloes before he faced rape accusations and was kicked out of the race. WISCONSIN DEMOCRAT MINIMIZES WHO APPEARS ON HASAN PIKER SHOW, DOES NOT ‘ENDORSE’ EVERYTHING HE SAYS All Democrats seem to adorn their current speech with foul language; apparently they think that’s part of Trump’s appeal in the locker room. With Trump, the F-bombs ring genuine; of their opponents, they do not. Except Hasan Piker, who routinely curses and appeals to young men online looking for someone to hate. Piker has notched some wins, like being an early supporter of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and some notable losses, like backing Francesca Hong, a gubernatorial candidate in Wisconsin who lost to a moderate Democrat even though polls showed her with a lead of about 20 points. Evidently, Hong’s previous comments about his desire to cancel Thanksgiving and abolish the police did not sit well with voters. AOC and Bernie were smart enough to stay away from Hong’s comically bad streak, but Piker went all in. He was furious that she lost and blamed her loss on the boomers, saying, “Thanksgiving outlaws and boomers outlaws.” More recently, Piker complained that Democrats should defend him. In one of his daily broadcasts, Piker demanded: “Not because you like what I have to say, not because I’m part of this coalition, although I am, whether you like it or not…” HALEY STEVENS URGES EL-SAYED TO DISMISS AFFILIATION WITH HASAN PIKER AFTER MICHIGAN PRIMARY Her petition came after several Democrats distanced themselves from Piker, declaring him a danger to their party. Leftist media host Joe Scarborough criticized Democratic leaders for not denouncing Piker after the broadcaster said of Hamas: “it doesn’t matter if the rape happened on October 7.” Scarborough is not alone. Shannon Watts, a Democratic activist, recently mocked his efforts to delete inflammatory comments, saying he uses his “Bingo card of defense: ‘It’s a joke, it’s satire, it’s hyperbole. It’s out of context. It was years ago.'” Watts explained: “English is my second language. I broadcast for hours. Bad faith cuts. Smear campaign. Critics get paid for Israel.” But many in the party see Piker as someone helping to drive turnout and enthusiasm. El-Sayed reportedly experienced a 29% increase in volunteer sign-ups after joining Piker, as well as an increase in donations. And they see a commitment to those important young male voters. CLICK HERE FOR MORE OPINION FROM FOX NEWS Piker wants to be taken seriously, but his appeal comes after refusing to endorse Democrats who support Israel, including former Vice President Kamala Harris. Democrats’ long-standing support from the Jewish community has put him at odds with many in the party. Piker’s impact will be tested again when Florida primary voters choose either two-term incumbent Democrat Jared Moskowitz or DSA-backed Oliver Larkin to run for the House in Florida’s newly drawn 25th district. Moskowitz is running as a “DeSantis Democrat,” taking advantage of the Republican governor’s popularity and his own history of working with state officials on emergency management and bringing federal funds to Florida. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP Larkin is a Democratic activist and “proud DSA candidate,” who is campaigning hard, along with Hasan Piker. Polls show the race is close. Larkin has criticized Moskowitz for accepting money from AIPAC and supporting Israel. It’s a risky stance in a district where Jews make up about 25% of voters. But so is campaigning with Hasan Piker. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM LIZ PEEK Liz Peek is a Fox News contributor and former partner at top Wall Street firm Wertheim & Company. A former Fiscal Times columnist, he writes for The Hill and frequently contributes to Fox News, the New York Sun and other publications. For more information, visit LizPeek.com. Follow her on Twitter @LizPeek.
