US mainstream media (MSM) steps up attacks on Hasan Piker, with Forbes calling him “incendiary,” the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) labelling him an “agitator” and “divisive figure driving Democrats up a wall,” and the New York Post calling him “notorious.”
Forbes said:
Left-wing Twitch streamer Hasan Piker’s incendiary brand of politics has become a flashpoint in the divide within the Democratic Party over the rise of the progressive movement—with conservatives seizing on his controversial statements to claim Democrats have swayed too far left.
So really, his offences are that he is a Turkish-origin American speaking his mind, challenging the status quo, mobilising young voters, and calling out the genocide in Gaza.
Piker was recently banned from entering the UK. His Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) was cancelled by the UK Home Office, which cited that his presence in the UK was not considered conducive to the public good.
AIPAC against Hasan Piker
Recent progressive primary wins, particularly Abdul El-Sayed’s victory in the Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate primary on August 4, 2026, a race in which Hasan Piker actively campaigned for him, have spooked AIPAC, which poured over $30 million into opposing El-Sayed only to see its favoreds candidate lose.
WSJ noted with disapproval that Piker “held court” at El-Sayed’s watch party and then listed the policies he supports, including a wealth tax for billionaires, rent control, a free Palestinian state, and cuts to U.S. military spending in Israel, as though these were abhorrent positions rather than sensible policies.
With 3.1 million Twitch followers and millions more on X, Instagram and YouTube, Hasan Piker has become a stand-in for the existential threat facing the Democratic establishment. https://t.co/0qg5mXEqRf
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) August 13, 2026
As Ryan Grim of Drop Site News reported, AIPAC and other big money groups spent roughly $100 million trying to elect establishment candidates like Haley Stevens, Angie Craig, and Janet Mills. But they lost all three races. Instead, they got Abdul El-Sayed, Peggy Flanagan, and Troy Jackson, who are all likely to support Chris Van Hollen, a senator AIPAC is fighting against.
AIPAC and other big money operations combined to spend roughly $100 million to elect Haley Stevens, Angie Craig, and Janet Mills.
Instead, they’re getting Abdul El-Sayed, Peggy Flanagan, and Troy Jackson.
Which is also 3 more votes for Chris Van Hollen, whom AIPAC is openly…
— Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) August 12, 2026
So AIPAC wasted $100 million and got nowhere. Now, having failed to stop progressives at the ballot box, they are stepping up attacks on Piker instead.
By The Canary
