Rep. Hillary Scholten, D-Mich., has strongly criticized Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, calling him a "hack who thrives on hate" for his recent remarks directed at American Jews and their support for Israel. Scholten stated that Piker's comments, which she described as "talk of violence" and which named Michigan state Sen. Jeremy Moss, are unacceptable.
"We should all be calling out this disgusting rhetoric so it loses its grip on our politics once and for all. It has no place in Michigan, and no place in our country," Scholten said in a statement. She specifically noted that Piker's remarks targeted Moss, a Jewish elected official.
Piker responded to Scholten's criticism on X, referring to her as an "Israel 1st congresswoman." He also suggested that Scholten was seeking attention and attempting to harm the Democratic Senate majority by criticizing him over what he termed a "90/10 issue."
Piker, who has a significant social media following, has been visible in Michigan politics. He previously supported Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, who faced criticism for appearing with Piker during his campaign due to the streamer's past rhetoric.
Abdul El-Sayed, who was endorsed by Piker, also addressed the controversy. While not directly condemning Piker, El-Sayed denounced antisemitism and rhetoric that endangers the Jewish community. "My commitment to Jewish safety is the same as my commitment to the safety of my own daughters," El-Sayed stated, adding that "antisemitism is a scourge, and we need to address it in all its forms." He also clarified that Piker did not speak on behalf of his campaign.
Jewish organizations have also condemned Piker's remarks. The Jewish Federation of Detroit called Piker's comments "repugnant and antisemitic," stating that "displaying a picture of a Michigan lawmaker who is Jewish" while discussing violence against Jewish Americans was unacceptable. The American Jewish Committee (AJC) asserted that Piker had "put a target on the backs of Sen. Moss, Jewish candidates and officeholders, and American Jews alike," and stated that elected officials associating with him must either denounce his rhetoric or be considered complicit.
Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt questioned whether elected officials who associate with Piker truly understand his content or simply leverage his reach while ignoring what he characterized as "rampant antisemitism."
During an Aug. 20 stream, Piker appeared to warn American Jews against aligning themselves too closely with Israel. "People don't f— with Israel any longer. And if Jews in America keep putting this idea out there that they're singularly invested in Israel, eventually someone will come around and take action not against Israel, mind you, but against American Jews," Piker said. At the time of this statement, an image of Sen. Jeremy Moss was displayed in the background.
Piker's comments followed a controversy surrounding an audio clip in which Moss was purportedly heard stating that his congressional campaign's purpose was to ensure continued U.S. support for Israel. Moss has refuted the clip, calling it a "manipulated and unsourced audio" containing fabricated statements.