OAN Staff Lillian Mann
12:56 PM – Thursday, September 17, 2026
Far-left streamer Hasan Piker stated publicly that the United States has “pound for pound” committed more terrorism than al Qaeda, the Islamic terrorist group that orchestrated the 9/11 attacks.
Piker, a self-described socialist whose Twitch and YouTube streams have gained millions of followers, previously drew widespread backlash for saying in 2019 that America “deserved 9/11”—a statement he has since retracted.
In an interview that previewed on Thursday, Axios reporter Alex Thompson asked Piker, 35, a follow up question in regard to one of his past comments where he described the U.S. as the “top dog” of terrorism.
“You once said that America is the ‘top dog’ in terrorism,” Thompson said, to which Piker nodded. “Do you think America then is worse than al Qaeda?”
“Pound for pound as far as the number of deaths, yes,” Piker said. “We have caused tremendous terror all around the world.”
After the significant criticism that followed his comments on Thursday, Piker wrote on X that Axios was using his “nuanced answer” as “clickbait.”
“oh this is why they were farming the interview. i give a nuanced answer about acts of terror this admin has caused and they clickbait it. he asked, i gave a nuanced answer. we’ve armed al qaeda since 9/11, we made its former commander the president of Syria,” he wrote.
He went on to cite an accidental missile strike on an elementary school for girls during the opening of the Iran conflict in February as an example of the U.S. failing to “create an environment of accountability.”
“I think that that is not only terror that we are waging on regular civilians, in nations in the periphery, but its also having consequences on ourselves, its having dramatic consequences on the home front,” he continued.
“Once clear example, this is what we did in Minab. There is no distinction between blowing up a school, triple tapping it with tomahawk missiles. If you’re killing 140 schoolgirls, that is an act of terror,” Piker said. “This doesn’t mean that all Americans are terrorists, but the reality of the matter is we have to create an environment of accountability to ensure things like that never happen again.”
Piker, born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, to Turkish Muslim parents, has sparked deep divisions within the Democrat Party. While his political involvement has drawn condemnation from conservative leaders, other candidates—such as Michigan Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed (D-Mich.)—have actively campaigned alongside him.
Stay informed! Receive breaking news alerts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
What do YOU think? Click here to jump to the comments!
Sponsored Content Below
Be the first to comment