The Hasan Piker Witch Hunt Exposes Everything Wrong With Corporate Democrats
They’ll platform racists, Islamophobes, and war criminals — but draw the line at a Muslim who opposes genocide
Corporate Democrats and centrists have found their villain of the month: Hasan Piker, a leftist Muslim streamer with millions of followers who is unapologetically anti-Zionist and unafraid to say so. Pro-AIPAC puppet Rep Brad Schneider (IL-10) went out of his way to condemn Piker, as have pro-AIPAC puppets like Rep Richie Torres, Senator Elissa Slotkin, and Senator Cory Booker.
The knives are out. The think pieces are being written. The operatives are organizing. And the message from the Democratic establishment is clear: Hasan Piker is unacceptable. He is too radical. He is too dangerous. He cannot be tolerated. At least that was the message from The Bulwark’s Mona Charen, who astonishingly compared Piker to Donald Trump, Steve Bannon, and Stephen Miller, before concluding:
Democrats need not flatter Piker or his audience to win elections. On the other hand, if they taint themselves with his hateful rhetoric and extremist views, they will be making a moral and strategic mistake.
The irony of a woman who worked for Ronald Reagan in communications as he spewed the Black woman “welfare queen” trope, let gay Americans die by mocking the AIDS epidemic, referred to Black people as monkeys, sold illegal arms to Iran, and decimated the middle class with the trickle down scam, lecturing anyone about the dangers of hateful rhetoric is beyond parody. But fine. Let’s take that moral standard seriously—and apply it consistently. Because if corporate Democrats and suddenly enlightened Republicans want to have a conversation about who is and isn’t acceptable, I am very eager to have that conversation. Let’s Address This.
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Gavin Newsom Welcomes Ben Shapiro
Let’s start with California Governor Gavin Newsom—one of the most prominent faces of the Democratic establishment and a front runner for the 2028 Democratic nominee for President—who proudly invited Ben Shapiro onto his podcast.
Ben Shapiro. The man who claims that “over 800 million Muslims were radicalized—more than half the Muslims on Earth.” A claim rated False by PolitiFact. The man who wrote that “the Palestinian Arab population is rotten to the core.” The man who said of Arab civilians: “Israelis like to build. Arabs like to bomb crap and live in open sewage.”
The man who wrote—in his own words—“Enemy ‘civilian casualties’ ok by me,” adding, “I don’t really care. In fact, I would rather that the good guys use the Air Force to kill the bad guys, even if that means some civilians get killed along the way.”
The man who declared that Muslims who don’t follow extremist interpretations of Islam “are bad Muslims in the eyes of Mohammed and they know it.”
Gavin Newsom sat across from this man. Smiled. Had a conversation to deny the genocide of Palestinians. And corporate Democrats said nothing.
But Hasan Piker? Unacceptable.
Gavin Newsom Also Welcomes Charlie Kirk
Not content with just one open racist and bigot, Newsom also hosted Charlie Kirk—a man whose public record of bigotry is so extensive it requires its own catalog.
On Black Americans, Kirk has said on his own show: “If I see a Black pilot, I’m going to be like, boy, I hope he’s qualified.” He has described Black people “prowling” urban areas to “target white people.” He has questioned whether Black women in professional roles earned their positions or were “affirmative action picks,” adding that they “do not have the brain processing power to otherwise be taken really seriously.”
On women, Kirk said Taylor Swift should “reject feminism and submit to your husband.” On a ten-year-old rape victim, he said he would support forcing her to carry the pregnancy to term.
On Islam, Kirk spewed, “Islam is the sword the left is using to slit the throat of America.” And: “Islam is not compatible with western civilization.”
On LGBTQ healthcare providers: “We need to have a Nuremberg-style trial for every gender-affirming clinic doctor.”
Gavin Newsom hosted this man. Proudly. He did so while arguing that we must converse with those with whom we disagree. And corporate Democrats said nothing.
But Hasan Piker? Unacceptable.
Bill Maher’s Democratic Fan Club
Bill Maher has been a reliable destination for Democratic politicians for decades. Corporate darling Senator Elissa Slotkin recently made her appearance. Countless others have followed.
This is the same Bill Maher who used the N-word on air—casually, laughingly, without meaningful consequence.
This is the same Bill Maher who mocked domestic violence survivors by comparing dealing with Hamas to dealing with “a crazy woman who’s trying to kill you—you can only hold her wrists so long before you have to slap her.”
This is the same Bill Maher who has declared: “Islam is the only religion that acts like the mafia that will f---ing kill you if you say the wrong thing.” Who said that Muslims worldwide have “too much in common with ISIS.” Who described Muslim people as bringing “that desert stuff to our world.”
Maher additionally went to dinner with Trump, then wrote a fawning piece describing him as a “normal human being.” Yes, a man convicted of raping E. Jean Carroll, a man who tried to violently overthrow our democracy, a man convicted of dozens of felony counts of fraud, and a man who appears in the Epstein files more than a million times, is a “normal human being” per Bill Maher.
And yet, Democratic politicians line up to appear on his show. Corporate Democrats defend the access. Nobody launches a campaign.
But Hasan Piker? Unacceptable.
Joe Rogan and the 2024 Election
And who can forget that Joe Rogan has used the N-word dozens of times on his platform. He has amplified vaccine deniers, election deniers, and conspiracy theorists. His endorsement of Donald Trump in 2024 was a meaningful factor in Trump’s victory—one that has produced the increasing assaults on democracy, human rights, and civil liberties that we now suffer through every day.
And yet—Democratic politicians have no problem going on his show. No campaigns were launched. No statements of condemnation were issued. In fact, to this day some criticize Kamala Harris for not going on his show.
The calculation was simple: reach matters more than principle.
But Hasan Piker? Unacceptable.
Liz Cheney Got a Campaign Trail Invitation
And if we’re truly taking stock—how did the Democratic establishment find room for former Congresswoman Liz Cheney?
She is praised for “standing up to Trump,” as if opposing a fascist as a last resort is some high bar to clear. Meanwhile, Liz Cheney proudly voted with Trump and against the Equality Act. Against the Equal Rights Amendment. Against protecting voting rights. Against abortion access (literally celebrated when Roe was overturned). Against a minimum wage increase. Against climate justice. And have we forgotten that Cheney blocked January 6 scrutiny into Ginni Thomas, wife of Justice Thomas, even as it was painstakingly clear that Ginni was complicit in the insurrection? Cheney is, by any measurable standard, opposed to every policy position the Democratic Party claims to champion, blocked critical life saving legislation, and did lasting damage to our democracy.
And she is the daughter of Dick Cheney—the architect of an illegal war in Iraq that killed hundreds of thousands of mostly Muslim civilians, destabilized an entire region, and produced generational trauma that continues to this day. And while Liz Cheney cannot be condemned merely for the sins of her father, she has proudly embraced and defended her father’s illegal Iraq war to this day. I welcome any critic of Hasan Piker to point to his most offensive quote—his mere words—and explain how his words are more damaging to human rights and dignity than the actions of the Cheneys which led to an estimated 4.6 million civilians murdered in the illegal western wars they launched and to this day support.
And how did Corporate Democrats respond to Liz Cheney and her grotesque, vile, and anti-human rights record? Kamala Harris not only welcomed Liz Cheney’s support—she campaigned with her. This, even as polling showed Cheney was a total flop and depressed turnout for Harris. Yet, Corporate Democrats cheered. It was called savvy coalition building.
But Hasan Piker? Unacceptable.
Let’s Be Honest About What This Is
I want to be clear: I am not writing this to defend Hasan Piker. He is perfectly capable of defending himself, and he does not need my help. And I’m also not here to explain any of his quotes people find offensive. I am writing this to call out a hypocrisy so glaring, so consistent, and so targeted that it demands to be named plainly.
Corporate Democrats have demonstrated—through not just words but through their actions—that they are perfectly comfortable platforming and embracing those who:
Mock survivors of domestic violence as a punchline
Dehumanize Black Americans in the most explicit terms, including using the N-word on air with impunity and on repeat
Call Islam incompatible with civilization and dehumanize Muslims as sewer dwellers, ‘desert culture,’ and call every one of us radical and ISIS
Defend the mass killing of millions of Muslim civilians, fund and then deny the genocide of Palestinians, even as it is live streamed on our phones
Oppose every policy value Democrats claim to hold, including denying voting rights, reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, immigration rights, healthcare access, and even the most basic elements of economic justice
And tolerate all of the above under the guise of “expanding the Democratic tent.” But what they cannot tolerate is a Muslim man who is anti-Zionist.
That is the line. Not racism. Not misogyny. Not LGBTQ dehumanization. Not Islamophobia. Not the N-word. Not cheerleading for civilian casualties. Not even genocide. The line is: a Muslim who opposes Israeli government policy and says so loudly. And how do we know this is the line?
Because if they were upset about Piker’s offensive quotes, then they should be far more outraged about Cheney’s destructive votes. Instead they had her campaign with Harris in the most important of Presidential elections. If they’re upset about Piker minimizing the 3000 civilians killed on 9/11, they should be inconsolable about Shapiro, Kirk, Maher, Rogan, and Cheney undermining democracy, mocking millions murdered in western wars, and platforming an actual fascist in the White House. Instead, they embrace each of those individuals.
If it were truly about principles and values, then they must be applied consistently—otherwise it’s nothing but grotesque hypocrisy. And that is the reality of what we see here. Corporate Democrats need to make a choice. Either they have a moral standard—one that applies consistently, regardless of who is being dehumanized—or they need to stop pretending that their campaign against Hasan Piker is about principles and values.
Because from where those of us committed to justice and human rights stand, it is clear that this has nothing to do with principles, it has nothing to do with values, and it has everything to do with anti-Muslim bigotry and intolerance of criticism of the Israeli government, dressed up in the language of political strategy.
We see it. We’re naming it. And we will not stay quiet about it.
Qasim Rashid is a human rights attorney, author, and host of Let’s Address This — a platform dedicated to human rights, social justice, and the facts that corporate media ignores. Subscribe for more. 50% off until April 23.
I am imagining the hate you will receive for, once again, stating actual facts.
People become extremely uncomfortable (meaning - actively hostile and belligerent), when confronted with simple, unadorned, facts stated without bias.
Especially when those facts challenge their beloved and dearly held beliefs.
It’s predictable and exhausting.
Thank you for being out here speaking truth to power.
Qasim, Education is effective. And you are an educator. I will send a longer response to this, but just realized, I must leave for work. I don’t think Newsom will be the strongest candidate. We must be diligent in looking at candidates in order not to be in danger of repeating this horror.