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Hasan Piker, Streamer & Creator, Night, during day two of Web Summit Vancouver 2026 at Vancouver Convention Centre in Vancouver, Canada.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Florencia Tan Jun\/Sportsfile via Getty Images<\/p>\n
Left-wing Twitch streamer Hasan Piker says he thinks he’s being held to an unfair standard as Republican politicians call for a talk he\u2019s giving this week at the University of Texas\u2019 Austin campus to be cancelled<\/a>.<\/p>\n Piker will speak at the William C. Powers Student Activities Center on Wednesday as a guest of University Democrats, a progressive student group. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Attorney General Ken Paxton and Sen. Ted Cruz, all Republicans, have called for the event to be cancelled. In a conversation with Chron, Piker said that he found it disappointing that no Democratic politicians had defended him. He also criticized Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX)<\/a> for joining those calls, and said Democrats were missing an opportunity to prove that they care about freedom of speech. In fact, Texas Democrats across the board seem hesitant to try to capitalize on his following.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n “The reason why they’re not doing it is because it’s beneficial for them as well. They don’t like the anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist left. They find us and this movement that we’re building to be a thorn in their side as well,” Piker said. “So they’re taking advantage of the Republican initiatives for de-platforming.”\u00a0<\/p>\n University Democrats over the weekend said that it has been unable to work with UT to secure a room big enough for the over 2,000 people who RSVP’d for the event. As a result, it will have to turn many away. University Democrats told Chron earlier this month that it believed administrators were trying to sabotage the event rather than cancel it outright<\/a>. Piker agreed, pointing to a previous talk at Stanford University that was moved several times, as well as last month when the University of Washington cancelled a planned lecture of his slated for next spring<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Piker contrasted the controversy around his upcoming event with a political event happening on Oct. 7, when the UT Austin chapter of Turning Point USA will host conservative commentator Ben Shapiro at the Hogg Auditorium<\/a>. Piker noted that University Democrats had previously asked for that venue for Piker’s event and been denied, but that there had been little comparative outcry.\u00a0<\/p>\n “He is as unacceptable as you can be,” Piker said. “And yet, Ben Shapiro is obviously pro-Israel, so I guess it’s not as consequential or as significant.”<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n “My job and my goals are to organize people.”<\/p>\n Influencer and left-wing political commentator Hasan Piker speaks during a campaign rally for Wisconsin Gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong on August 2, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Hong, a democratic socialist in the state legislature, has seen an uptick in recent poll numbers.\u00a0<\/p>\n Joshua Lott\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Piker said universities are caught between student populations that sympathize with Palestinians in Gaza<\/a> and calls from politicians and some Jewish leaders to cancel his events. Piker said he believed UT was trying to put up roadblocks to having a larger audience see him speak, rather than cancel the event and face a possible lawsuit.\u00a0<\/p>\n “If they were to outright cancel the speaking engagement of a prominent anti-Zionist, that would probably be a little bit more chaotic for them overall,” Piker said. “So they do this thing where they’ll move me around. They’ll try to soften the impact. They’ll try to make it as difficult as possible.”<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Despite the cancellation calls, as well as comments from Jewish groups like Texas Hillel expressing concern about Piker’s public statements about Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza, the show will go on. Piker said even though Democrats have traditionally written off red states like Texas, it’s important for socialists and left-wing politicians to take the state seriously. He pointed to issues like workers and tenants rights and the high cost of living as those that can mobilize young people on both sides of the spectrum.<\/p>\n “My job and my goals are to organize people, no matter where they are, around certain issues that are impacting their lives and with the hopes of making necessary changes that will improve their lives,” Piker said. “There’s workers in the state of Texas.”<\/p>\n \nTalarico: populist or “slopulist?”\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Piker\u2019s influence in Democratic politics has grown due to his endorsements of left-wing insurgent candidates. He\u2019s now coming to Texas at a time when national Democrats are debating how much to moderate stances on issues like transgender rights<\/a> and immigration. Piker characterized Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico and Democrats like Sen. John Ossof as having embraced “slopulism”<\/a>: an aesthetic of populist rhetoric devoid of any real policy proposals.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n “I think they do a very good job at communicating their desires to the base,” Piker said. “However, it’s not associated with the broad left movement and also not associated with left economic populist agenda items, either.”<\/p>\n While Talarico has relentlessly focused on affordability issues in his race against Paxton, Piker thinks Talarico could stand to take larger swings and call for policies like universal healthcare. Talarico has instead proposed allowing Americans to join Medicare if they want.\u00a0<\/p>\n Stay informed, and entertained.<\/p>\n By signing up, you agree to our Terms Of Use<\/a> and acknowledge that your information will be used as described in our Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n “I think James Talarico would do even better if he tapped into that populist rage and then tied that back to tangible policies,” Piker said. “Having said that, it’s not even a question who I would prefer in this race. Ken Paxton is not just horrible for Texas, but I think [he] might be one of the worst Republicans in the country.”\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Piker has become a lightning rod among some Democratic politicians, who have condemned him over comments like saying America “deserved” 9\/11. Abdul El-Sayed, the candidate for U.S. Senate in Michigan, has gotten flak for his relationship with Piker<\/a> but has not disavowed the streamer. Piker said if any candidate running for office in Texas reached out, he’d be happy to lend a hand, though none have so far. He said his large audience of politically engaged young people would be an asset to whatever campaign wanted his endorsement.<\/p>\n “Why wouldn’t I?” Piker said. “If a campaign, especially in a place like Texas, is bold enough to invite me, that means that they have strong convictions.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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