Should Democrats Appear With Hasan Piker?

The Brian Lehrer Show | Apr 23

Controversial Twitch streamer Hasan Piker has become a litmus test for Democrats after a campaign appearance with Michigan senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed. Jonathan Cowan, co-founder and president of the centrist think tank Third Way, and Daniel Denvir, journalist, host of the Jacobin podcast The Dig, and author of All-American Nativism (Verso Books, 2020), address Piker's statements and debate whether or not politicians should interact with him, and more broadly, if he belongs in the Democratic coalition.

Photo: Zohran Mamdani, the mayor-elect of New York City, addressed his supporters after the historic mayoral election victory on Tuesday night, November 4, 2025, in New York City, United States. Famous online streamer Hasan Piker attends Mamdani's election watch party (by Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images).

WNYC is funded by sponsors and member donations

Top Stories

ICE’s presence in New York is surging, immigrant rights activists say

In NYC, reported sightings of ICE activity more than doubled in July compared to June, advocates say. Such sightings quadrupled in parts of Upstate New York during the same period.
Gothamist |

Dr. Fauci Testifies in Congress

Chelsea Cirruzzo discusses Fauci's testimony after the release of his diary entries from 2020.
The Brian Lehrer Show |

The Shoe Thrower

The world around you is falling apart, and no one is listening. How far do you go to be heard?
Radiolab |

F@#$ the AI Overlords

A guide to getting AI to work for us, and not the other way around.
On the Media |
YOU ARE ONLINE