House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has strongly condemned remarks made by far-left online streamer Hasan Piker, who suggested that Jewish Americans were inviting violence against themselves because of their support for Israel. Jeffries labeled the comments as "dangerous and antisemitic" and "malicious."
"The malicious claim that American Jews are inviting violence against themselves is dangerous and antisemitic," Jeffries stated on social media. In a CNN interview, he added that Piker's comments "should not be tolerated by anyone in the public square."
Piker, who has over three million online followers, made the remarks last week while discussing Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed. Piker featured an image of Michigan State Sen. Jeremy Moss, who is Jewish and the Democratic nominee in Michigan's 11th Congressional District. Moss has stated that a fake audio clip falsely claims his sole reason for running for Congress is to ensure continued U.S. support for Israel.
"If Jews in America keep putting this idea out there that they are singularly invested in Israel, eventually someone is going to come around and take action, not against the state of Israel, mind you, but against American Jews," Piker warned.
Jeffries emphasized the need to combat rising hate, stating, "There is zero justification for threats against the safety of our Jewish brothers and sisters at a moment of rising hate. We will fight the cancer of antisemitism with the fierce urgency of now."
Other Democratic lawmakers also denounced Piker's statements. Rep. Hillary Scholten of Michigan called Piker "a hack who thrives on hate." Rep. Susie Lee of Nevada stated on X that "Claims that American Jews are responsible for the violence being committed against their communities are unacceptable and cannot be tolerated. It’s dangerous and antisemitic."
Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., who is Jewish and a supporter of Israel, praised Jeffries' response. In an interview on Fox News, Gottheimer described Piker's comments as "right out of the Nazi playbook" and a "call for violence against Jews."
Gottheimer also criticized Abdul El-Sayed for his association with Piker. El-Sayed, the Democratic Senate nominee in Michigan, tried to distance himself from Piker, who had endorsed him and appeared at some campaign events. "I want to be crystal clear, nobody speaks for this campaign besides me and my campaign spokespeople," El-Sayed said in a statement.
Gottheimer called El-Sayed's response "pathetic" and argued that "No Democratic members should allow Piker anywhere near them on the campaign trail."
Mike Rogers, the Republican Senate nominee in Michigan, also attacked both Piker and El-Sayed. "More calls for violence coming out of the El-Sayed campaign," Rogers said on social media, claiming Piker stated that "if AMERICAN JEWS support Israel, they will be violently targeted because of it."
El-Sayed's statement affirmed his belief that "all Americans deserve the right to advocate for what they believe without fear of violence," adding, "My commitment to Jewish safety is the same as my commitment to the safety of my own daughters. Antisemitism is a scourge, and we need to address it in all its forms. And I stand against any rhetoric that puts the community at risk."
El-Sayed has previously characterized Israel's military actions in Gaza as "bloodthirsty" and accused Israeli leadership of genocide. He has advocated against unconditional U.S. military aid to Israel and has repeatedly declined to state directly whether Israel has a right to exist, while also asserting his solidarity with Jewish communities and condemnation of antisemitism.