Hasan Piker Sparks Controversy with Remarks on U.S. Terrorism

Far-left streamer Hasan Piker has recently claimed that the United States has “pound for pound” committed more acts of terrorism than al Qaeda, the group responsible for the 9/11 attacks.

Piker, who identifies as a socialist and has amassed millions of followers on Twitch and YouTube, stirred controversy back in 2019 when he said America “deserved 9/11,” a statement he later described as “partially” retracted.

In a Thursday interview, Axios reporter Alex Thompson revisited one of Piker’s earlier statements where he labeled the U.S. as the “top dog” of terrorism.

“You once said that America is the ‘top dog’ in terrorism,” Thompson remarked, to which Piker acknowledged with a nod. “Do you think America then is worse than al Qaeda?”

“Pound for pound as far as the number of deaths, yes,” Piker replied. “We have caused tremendous terror all around the world.”

Following his comments, Piker faced considerable backlash. He expressed his frustration on social media, claiming that Axios twisted his “nuanced answer” for sensationalism.

“Oh, this is why they were farming the interview. I give a nuanced answer about acts of terror this admin has caused and they clickbait it. He asked, I gave a nuanced answer,” he wrote, referencing U.S. actions post-9/11.

Piker pointed to an accidental missile strike on a girls’ elementary school during the Iran conflict as an example of the U.S. failing to hold itself accountable for its actions.

“I think that that is not only terror that we are waging on regular civilians in nations on the periphery, but it’s also having consequences on ourselves,” he stated. “There is no distinction between blowing up a school and triple tapping it with Tomahawk missiles. If you’re killing 140 schoolgirls, that is an act of terror,” he added. “This doesn’t mean that all Americans are terrorists, but we have to create an environment of accountability to ensure things like that never happen again.”

Piker, who was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, to Turkish Muslim parents, has become a polarizing figure within the Democratic Party. While some conservative leaders have criticized his political stances, candidates like Michigan Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed have embraced campaigning alongside him.