Left-wing political commentator and streamer Hasan Piker joined Rep. Chris Rabb for a rally in Philadelphia on Thursday, as the congressman continues to vie for the Democratic nomination for Pennsylvania\u2019s 3rd congressional district.<\/p>\n
The rally and canvassing event began at 4 p.m. at Malcom X Park on 51st and Pine streets. It will be followed by a fundraising event at the restaurant Renata\u2019s on 39th Street and Baltimore Avenue at 5:30 p.m.<\/p>\n
Piker is a popular but controversial political pundit, streamer and influencer with a large following on YouTube, Twitch and TikTok. Known for his left-wing politics, Piker has drawn both praise and condemnation for his outspoken criticism of the Israeli government and advocacy for Palestinians amid the Israel – Hamas war. <\/p>\n
Piker has been frequently accused of being antisemitic, an allegation that he has consistently denied, arguing that he has criticized the Israeli government but not Jewish people.<\/p>\n
Piker has also frequently criticized American foreign policy and drew outrage back in 2019 when he said, \u201cAmerica deserved 9\/11.\u201d<\/a> \u00a0<\/p>\n During a recent episode of Battleground Politics, NBC10\u2019s Lauren Mayk asked Rabb about controversial statements Piker has made in the past.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not aware of the language he\u2019s used. I\u2019m recently aware of who he is through my sons, actually,\u201d Rabb said.<\/p>\n Mayk then asked Rabb if he planned on researching Piker\u2019s comments before appearing on his show.<\/p>\n \u201cNot necessarily,\u201d Rabb said. \u201cThere\u2019s no feedback when folks go on Bill Maher. And he\u2019s said some very problematic things. There was no real pushback when Bernie Sanders went on Joe Rogan who has consistently said problematic things.\u201d<\/p>\n Rabb then talked about the importance of engaging with people who he disagrees with. <\/p>\n \u201cBut if I said, I\u2019m not going to communicate or engage someone who I don\u2019t share my politics with, I couldn\u2019t do my job as a state lawmaker,\u201d he said. \u201cI worked the first six years in office with a Republican majority where their priorities were anathema to me. Many of the things they fought for were things that deeply offended me.\u201d<\/p>\n Rabb also talked about finding \u201ccommon cause\u201d with others.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to find common cause with Hasan Piker. I\u2019m going to find common cause with corporate Dems. I\u2019m going to find common cause with anyone I can if they\u2019re willing to work in good faith to help people. That\u2019s my job as a public servant,\u201d he said. \u201cSo, unless there\u2019s a line that\u2019s way too out there, we all have to find that line. But I don\u2019t know until I have a conversation with him. But if there are things that we agree on, that\u2019s what we\u2019re going to focus on. That\u2019s how I\u2019ve been such an effective lawmaker. I focus on the things that we have in common.\u201d<\/p>\n Rabb is currently a member of the Pa. House of Representatives, representing the 200th District after being elected to the position in 2016.<\/p>\n According to his campaign website, after spending a career “challenging corporate power, advancing social justice, and standing up for communities too often ignored by political insiders,” Rabb is looking to bring his fight to Congress. He has been endorsed by the\u00a0Philadelphia Inquirer<\/a>, several area organizations and fellow legislators,\u00a0including U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.<\/a><\/p>\n He\u2019s one of four Democratic candidates vying to replace longtime Congressman Dwight Evans in Pennsylvania\u2019s 3rd congressional district. The other three candidates include Shaun Griffith, Dr. Ala Stanford, and State Sen. Sharif Street. Democratic voters will choose their nominee during the Pennsylvania primary election on Tuesday, May 19.<\/a><\/p>\n You can watch or listen to Lauren Mayk\u2019s interviews with all four candidates here.<\/a><\/p>\n Subscribe to Battleground Politics anywhere you get your podcasts:\u00a0Spotify<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Amazon Music<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Apple Podcasts<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0RSS<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Watch on YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Left-wing political commentator and streamer Hasan Piker joined Rep. 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