Rep. Raskin Responds to Hasan Piker's Comments on Hamas and Israel

<p>Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., addressed scrutiny of far-left streamer Hasan Piker's comments regarding Hamas, calling them an "irrelevant distraction" during an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday. Host Kristen Welker played a clip of Piker stating he would vote for Hamas over Israel "every single time" and inquired if the Democratic Party could accommodate Piker.</p><p>Raskin responded, "I don’t even know if Hasan Piker considers himself a Democrat. I know he attacked me for campaigning with Callie Barr and Sean McCann and other Democrats in Michigan. I think all of that is an irrelevant distraction. Obviously, nobody supports Hamas, a terrorist organization which brutally attacked Israel on Oct. 7."</p><p>Natalie Baldassarre, national press secretary for the RNC, highlighted Piker’s increasing influence in Democratic politics and his support for socialist candidates, warning that this could pose a liability for the party in the upcoming elections. Baldassarre stated, "The Democrat Party is being driven off [a] cliff by socialists who are driving blindfolded while arguing about the view. Unless Democrats hit the brakes, every candidate on the ballot will have to answer for socialists’ outrageous beliefs that will bankrupt our country and strip every American of safety, sanity, and freedom."</p><p>Raskin's remarks followed his campaign efforts alongside El-Sayed in Michigan in late August. El-Sayed has faced questions regarding his ties to Piker as some Democrats have distanced themselves from the streamer.</p><p>Piker, who endorsed El-Sayed and participated in various campaign events during the Democratic primary, reiterated his stance comparing Hamas and Israel during an April appearance on "Pod Save America," stating, "I’ve also said I’m a harm reduction voter. I’m a lesser evil voter, and therefore I would vote for Hamas over Israel every single time."</p><p>Piker has also faced backlash for comments regarding American Jews, warning on a livestream that if they continued to present themselves as "singularly invested in Israel," someone could eventually "take action" against them.</p><p>El-Sayed responded to the controversy by clarifying that Piker does not represent his campaign. "I want to be crystal clear, nobody speaks for this campaign besides me and my campaign spokespeople," El-Sayed said. However, he has resisted calls to fully disavow Piker, stating in a recent interview that he aims to engage Piker's audience in the electoral process rather than abandon them over disagreements.</p><p>Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., criticized the focus on Piker as "absolutely ludicrous," while Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash, suggested that Democrats should engage with his audience despite differing views. Other Democrats have called for the party to distance itself from Piker.</p><p>Fox News Digital reached out to Piker for comment but did not receive a response.</p>