Hasan Piker, a socialist Twitch streamer courted by some progressives, has become a target in Republican campaign attacks, although a mid-September poll found 62% of likely voters in three US Senate battleground states did not know who he was.
In an Axios interview that sparked a fresh uproar, Piker said that, “pound for pound” by death toll, the US had caused more deaths than al-Qaida. A Republican ad by Michigan Senate contender Mike Rogers used Piker’s 2019 remark that “America deserved 9/11” to attack Abdul El-Sayed; Piker later called the remark “inappropriate.” El-Sayed, who campaigned with Piker in the primary, has since distanced himself.
Piker has more than 3 million Twitch followers and says 300,000 to 500,000 unique viewers tune in each hour. Pennsylvania congressional candidate Chris Rabb said Piker significantly expanded his campaign’s reach and helped attract volunteers, but whether that support won him the primary was unknowable. Piker says he is not campaigning for anyone in the general election.
