After the 2024 election, leftist Twitch streamer Hassan Piker has blown up in popularity,
becoming a go-to voice for the Democratic Party on questions about the new internet,
how to reach young men, and even the political costs of the Biden White House's policy on Gaza.
But Piker's glow-up has angered a section of Democrats who are growing louder in voice.
And they argue that Piker traffics and anti-Semitism encourages violence and engages in open misogyny.
Now, Piker is controversial, no doubt.
But is he toxic?
And how much of this blowback is tied to Piker the person versus the leftist politics he stands for?
This week, we'll talk to a centrist Democratic think tank that's been leading the anti-Hassan piker charge.
And then we'll talk to the streamer himself.
Let's begin.
So in March, a Democratic group called Third Way published an op-ed in the Wall Street
Journal's opinion section saying Democrats are too cozy with Hassan piker.
Now, Third Way isn't just any group.
It's probably the premier centrist think tank in Washington.
And it holds a lot of sway with the party's moderate elected officials.
So.
I wanted to talk to Third Way, not just about their argument in this article,
but about their motivations and their goals.
So I connected with John Cohen.