Ocasio-Cortez Criticizes Focus on Hasan Piker Amid Calls from Democrats for Distance

<p>Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., questioned the attention given to streamer Hasan Piker in American politics on Thursday, stating it is unreasonable for elected officials to focus on him. "It is absolutely ludicrous that so much oxygen from sitting elected officials in the United States Congress is being dedicated to discourse around a Twitch streamer for young people," Ocasio-Cortez said, as reported by The Hill.</p><p>Representative Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., also addressed Piker, indicating she would not defend all his views but acknowledged the need to connect with his audience. "That's for him to do," Jayapal stated. "I don’t know why, all of a sudden, the standard is you have to agree with everything he said." Jayapal emphasized the importance of reaching Piker's voters, noting the challenges in engaging younger audiences in politics.</p><p>The Hill reported that several Democrats have dismissed Piker, including Representative Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., who stated that individuals should not support him or share a stage with him. "Not only should people not be on stage with him or take his support, they should condemn his views and what he has said. And I think anything short of that is unacceptable," Gottheimer said.</p><p>Piker has campaigned with various Democrats during the midterm election cycle, including Abdul El-Sayed, who is running for Senate in Michigan. Other Democrats, including Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., have acknowledged the need to engage with Piker's followers. Sanders condemned Piker's past comments on 9/11 but recognized the influence he has among young voters.</p><p>El-Sayed expressed his intention to connect with Piker's audience, stating, "What I'm saying is there are 3 million people who listen to Hasan. I want to offer them a pathway into an electoral movement where, rather than sit outside of the electoral system, they see a pathway around the things that they agree with that he says that I agree with and a pathway that disavows the things that I disagree with."</p><p>Fox News Digital reported that El-Sayed attempted to distance his campaign from Piker after backlash over comments made by the streamer regarding American Jews and Israel. Democratic strategist Kaivan Shroff commented on the situation, suggesting that El-Sayed's reluctance to distance himself from Piker indicates a deeper connection to the streamer within the left's political movement.</p><p>Shroff noted that many Democrats have criticized President Donald Trump for associating with controversial figures, suggesting that Democrats should similarly distance themselves from Piker. RNC spokesman Max Lippel stated, "Piker has always been an America-hating extremist, and if they didn't want to answer for his disgusting views, they should have never requested he campaign with them to begin with."</p>