El-Sayed decries cancel culture when confronted on Hasan Piker, disavows streamer's 9/11 remarks
Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed complained about cancel culture when pressed on his association with far-left streamer Hasan Piker, after denouncing the streamer's 9/11 remarks.
A top House Democrat is speaking out against a university's decision to cancel an appearance by controversial far-left activist Hasan Piker on its campus.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., the former Congressional Progressive Caucus chair, publicly called on students at the University of Washington to "work with the university to ensure" that Piker was able to speak.
Jayapal also said in a statement posted to X on Thursday that she was personally working with the university on the issue.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal is speaking out against the University of Washington's decision to cancel Hasan Piker's speaking engagement. (Noushad Variyattiyakkal/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
"As a Member of the Judiciary Committee, I have been absolutely clear that free speech is a constitutional right that we must all stand up and protect. I have been communicating my concerns about the cancellation of the Hasan Piker event directly to the University, and they have informed me that they are doing an internal review to ensure this never happens again," Jayapal wrote.
Piker posted on X earlier this week that the event was canceled due to his criticism of Israel.
"i wish the dems were smarter & didn’t let the [right-wing] groups be the only people who speak out against this clear violation of [the First Amendment] but unfortunately my position as a prominent critic of israel stops them from using this moment to show gop as arch cancel culture warriors," Piker wrote.
The University of Washington faced bipartisan criticism for canceling Piker's appearance. (Karen Ducey/Getty Images)
The University of Washington said in a statement that Piker's event was canceled because it "was determined that the process for organizing this event did not meet the necessary level of rigor for University-hosted events."
The decision also prompted backlash from the right.
"Let the radical Mao loving communist Hasan Piker speak, so long as he can resist the urge to call for the death of his political opponents. Universities do this to TPUSA often and blame some admin error etc.," Turning Point USA's Andrew Kolvet posted on X. "It’s wrong. Let him speak. Let conservatives speak. Peacefully."
Piker, a streamer, has long made headlines for controversial and far-left statements.
In 2019, he said "America deserved 9/11" over its foreign policy decisions, though he later walked it back on "The Young Turks," stating, "Every part of what I advocate for is against violence" and insisting his statement was misconstrued.
Piker said at a Yale University event in April 2026 that "the fall of the USSR was one of the greatest catastrophes of the 20th century."
Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive candidate who won the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Michigan, talks poolside with streamer Hasan Piker at a party for content creators supporting his campaign on Aug. 3, 2026, in Detroit. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo)
He also drew backlash from the Anti-Defamation League for calling terror group Hamas a "lesser evil" compared to Israel.
The far-left activist and his past statements have been back in the national conversation in recent weeks as he campaigns with socialist-aligned candidates across the country. That includes Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and failed Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong.
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Fox News Digital reached out to Piker for comment on Jayapal's and Kolvet's defense of his speaking engagement.
