Piker, who often describes himself as a Democratic Socialist, has drummed up accusations of antisemitism from U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, whose district includes a portion of San Antonio for the remainder of 2026.
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Internet personality and left-wing political commentator Hasan Piker is slated to visit the Lone Star State this week — but despite 2,500 people signing up to attend his Sept. 30 live speaking event at the University of Texas at Austin, not everyone is pleased with his impending presence.
Piker, who often describes himself as a Democratic Socialist, has drummed up accusations of antisemitism from U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, whose district includes a portion of San Antonio for the remainder of 2026.
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The accusations largely stem from Piker’s criticisms over the Israel-Hamas conflict, which has led to widespread devastation in the Gaza Strip, along with tens of thousands of Palestinian casualties.
In a Sept. 14 social media post, Cuellar wrote that Piker’s scheduled UT appearance was deeply concerning: “Free speech allows difficult and controversial views, but it does not require anyone to stay silent when someone has a history of hateful comments about Jewish Americans, 9/11 and Hamas terrorism,” the House Democrat wrote.
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Hasan Piker’s scheduled appearance at the University of Texas is deeply concerning.
Free speech allows difficult and controversial views, but it does not require anyone to stay silent when someone has a history of hateful comments about Jewish Americans, 9/11, and Hamas…
— Rep. Henry Cuellar (@RepCuellar) September 14, 2026
Piker, although critical of Zionism and Israel’s role in the Israel-Hamas conflict, has consistently spoken out against antisemitism. In interviews, he’s stated that conflating antisemitism with anti-Zionism is dangerous to Jewish Americans.
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“Do not let a coordinated republican smear campaign become ‘reality,'” Piker wrote in an Aug. 24 X post. “My argument against the dangerous false conflation between zionism and judaism which in turn increases antisemitism is now turned on it’s head. zionism is not judaism. antizionism is not antisemitism.”
Additionally, Piker denounced San Antonio congressional candidate Maureen Galindo, who said she would seek to convert an immigrant detention center near San Antonio into a “prison for American Zionists and former ICE officers.” Piker condemned Galindo online, calling her “Marjorie Taylor Blue” and stating she “fell off the deep end.”
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Cuellar said Piker’s appearance could make some Jewish students at UT Austin feel “targeted or unsafe.”
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“UT should be a place for debate, learning, and respect, not antisemitism or rhetoric that excuses terrorism,” Cuellar wrote in a Sept. 14 post on X. “Leaders in both parties should be clear: antisemitism and hate must be condemned wherever they appear.”
University Democrats at the University of Texas at Austin, the student-led organization that arranged Piker’s speaking event, accused school officials of “soft canceling” his on-campus appearance.
Adit Raha, president of University Democrats, told KVUE that the group asked UT Austin to approve Piker as a guest speaker in early August. Although the university approved the event for a 466-seat auditorium, more than 2,500 people registered to attend.
Raha said university officials later told the organization it needed a larger venue because of safety concerns. Raha said requests to move the event to larger campus spaces were denied, even though those venues were not booked.
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“We’re being, essentially, soft canceled,” Raha told KVUE. “By not giving us a venue, they’re essentially pushing us out of campus.”
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