Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., referred to scrutiny of streamer Hasan Piker’s comments about Hamas as an "irrelevant distraction" during an interview on NBC’s "Meet the Press" on Sunday. Host Kristen Welker questioned Raskin about the Democratic Party's divisions regarding Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed’s association with Piker, who stated he would vote for Hamas over Israel "every single time." 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."
Natalie Baldassarre, national press secretary for the RNC, highlighted Piker’s increasing influence in Democratic politics, warning that it could pose a liability for the party ahead of the elections. She 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."
Raskin's remarks followed his campaign efforts alongside El-Sayed in Michigan in late August. El-Sayed has faced scrutiny regarding his ties to Piker, who endorsed him and participated in several campaign events during the Democratic primary. Piker reiterated his stance on Hamas 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."
Piker has also faced backlash for comments about American Jews, warning during a livestream that if they continued to present themselves as "singularly invested in Israel," there could be consequences. El-Sayed responded to this 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 stated.
Despite the criticism, El-Sayed has not fully disavowed Piker, expressing a desire to engage Piker’s audience in the electoral process. "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," El-Sayed said.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., described 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 members of the party have called for distancing from Piker. Fox News Digital reached out to Piker for comment but did not receive a response.