WASHINGTON: Twitch streamer and political commentator Hasan Piker said the United States had caused more “terror” globally than al-Qaeda when measured by deaths, standing by previous remarks during an Axios podcast released Thursday.
Piker, who has more than three million followers on Twitch, said the US had caused “tremendous terror” around the world. He cited the March strike on an elementary school in Minab, Iran, as an example.
The Trump administration has not released findings from a Pentagon investigation into the strike. However, the supplied report said evidence indicated at least one US missile struck the school.
Piker argued that accountability was necessary to prevent similar incidents, while stressing that he was not describing all Americans as terrorists.
Piker’s Past Comments Feature in Campaign Advertising
Piker has received increased political attention because of his campaigning for Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for a US Senate seat in Michigan.
According to Axios, citing AdImpact, Republican-affiliated groups have spent nearly $3 million on advertisements attacking El-Sayed over his association with Piker.
Moreover, some advertisements feature Piker’s controversial 2019 remark that “America deserved 9/11.” Piker later apologised for the wording and has described the attacks as “blowback” from US involvement in the Middle East.
He told Axios he did not believe the September 11 attacks were justified.
El-Sayed Rejects Piker’s US-Al-Qaeda Comparison
El-Sayed has sought to distance his own positions from Piker’s statements while defending his decision to engage with the streamer’s large audience.
Furthermore, El-Sayed explicitly rejected Piker’s comparison between the United States and al-Qaeda.
“I do not agree with this statement,” El-Sayed told Axios, adding that his campaign remained focused on economic and healthcare issues affecting Michigan residents.
