Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) has dismissed left-wing commentator Hasan Piker's pro-Hamas comments as an "irrelevant distraction" that won't affect the midterm elections outcome. Piker, who has been in the headlines for supporting Hamas over Israel, said he would vote for Hamas every time, prompting outrage from some Democrats. Raskin argued that while no one supports Hamas or its brutal attack on Israel, the party should focus on President Donald Trump's policies and retaking control of Congress rather than Piker's comments. The key numbers mentioned are 60 days, referring to the timeframe until the midterm elections.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Here's a summary of the news story:
Hasan Piker, a 35-year-old far-left Twitch streamer and Democratic Socialists of America supporter, has been making headlines with his incendiary statements, including comparing Zionism to "Nazism" and defending communist Chinese dictator Mao Zedong. He has also stated that he would vote for Hamas over Israel every single time. This has prompted outrage from some Democrats, who see him as a liability in the midterm election cycle. However, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) dismissed Piker's comments as an "irrelevant distraction" and said he doesn't know if Piker considers himself a Democrat. Some Democratic officials have distanced themselves from Piker, including Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-MI), who publicly denounced him and withheld her endorsement of Abdul el Sayed, the Democratic nominee for the Senate race in Michigan. Despite this controversy, Piker has stated that his goal is not to make the Democratic Party look good, and he claims that party officials have not reached out to coordinate a strategy with him.
Written for “Hasan Piker's Political Stance” on 2026-09-07,
grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted
verbatim and was checked against the article text before being
stored, so you can find it in the original.
Leaning score +0.35 for article 6065 (high confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-09-07
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) dismissed left-wing political commentator Hasan Piker’s pro-Hamas remarks as an “irrelevant distraction” that he believes will not affect the outcome of the midterm elections.
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he → dismiss → elections
Piker has been in the headlines for his glowing comments about Hamas, which attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
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which → attack → Oct.
In a recent interview, the progressive figure said he “would vote for Hamas over Israel every single time.”
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he → say → Israel
This has prompted outrage from certain Democrats.
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This → prompt → Democrats
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Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-MI), for example, publicly denounced Piker and withheld her endorsement of Abdul el Sayed, the Democratic nominee for the Senate race in Michigan, due to his association with Piker.
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Scholten → denounce → Piker
El Sayed has responded by distancing himself from Piker, though the two remain closely linked over their anti-Israel views.
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two → respond → views
Asked by NBC News’s Meet the Press host Kristen Welker if Piker should be included in the Democratic Party, Raskin said he doesn’t know if the Twitch streamer “considers himself a Democrat” because Piker criticized the Jewish congressman for campaigning with el Sayed and other Democratic candidates in Michigan.
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Piker → ask → Michigan
Nonetheless, Raskin said, “All of that is an irrelevant distraction.”
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All → say → that
“Obviously, nobody supports Hamas, a terrorist organization which brutally attacked Israel on Oct. 7,” he added.
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he → support → Oct.
“But people here also don’t support the policies of Bibi Netanyahu.
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people → support → Netanyahu
But we’re not going to be able to work that out in the next 60 days.”
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we → go → days
Rather, the House Democrat argued, the party’s focus should be on President Donald Trump and his policies for the midterm elections.
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focus → argue → elections
Democrats are seeking to retake control of Congress this fall.
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Democrats → seek → Congress
Republicans are more at risk of losing their narrow majority in the House, but Democrats are similarly eyeing control of the Senate.
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Democrats → lose → Senate
El Sayed is one such Democrat running for the upper chamber.
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Sayed → run → chamber
In November, he will face former Michigan Republican Rep. Mike Rogers for the state’s open Senate seat.
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he → face → seat
El Sayed and Piker have appeared together in public at several campaign events early in the 2026 primary election cycle before controversy swirled around the internet personality.
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controversy → appear → personality
Their politics slightly differ — Piker is a self-described socialist, whereas el Sayed is a progressive who welcomes support from the Democratic Socialists of America.
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who → differ → America
Both Democrats and Republicans have accused Piker of antisemitism regarding his critical remarks about Israel and Jewish Americans.
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Democrats → accuse → Israel
