Hasan Piker wants to stream less in 2026
By Harmeet Kaur, CNN
(CNN) — Every day, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. PT, Hasan Piker is live on Twitch.
“What I do is basically AM radio, but for Zoomers,” he has said. The 34-year-old streamer, HasanAbi to his 3 million followers, flips between a dizzying number of tabs, offering political commentary on the day’s news to an audience mostly of young men. When he’s not sounding off on the culture or offering dating advice, he’s tearing into right-wing figures or the policies of the Trump administration.
He’s also 6-foot-4 and jacked, in an era when the political right is fixated on hypermasculine attributes.
This year, these credentials made Piker a subject of political and media fascination. Democratic operatives reportedly courted him. Journalists covered him at length. Strategists and pundits looked to him to understand how liberals might win over young men, a demographic that broke sharply for the GOP in 2024 — which some attributed to bro podcasters and streamers like Joe Rogan palling around with Trump.
As Democrats set out to find a “Joe Rogan of the left,” Piker — with his cutting jawline, serious protein intake and empathy for immigrants and trans people — came up again and again.
But Piker is no Joe Rogan, and he’s no standard-issue Democrat, either: He’s an avowed socialist, an anti-imperialist and one of the loudest critics of the Israeli government’s bombardment in Gaza. (He isn’t even a typical bro — he’s been known to rock a string of pearls or nail polish on occasion and confidently donned a maid outfit and cat ears for a video earlier this year.)
And Piker is still a polarizing figure. His staunchly leftist views — and the brash and off-the-cuff manner in which he expresses them — have spurred more mainstream, establishment liberals to distance themselves from him, and he’s made inflammatory comments that have gotten him suspended from Twitch several times. Still, since the 2024 election, his following has steadily climbed and he’s now one of the most influential voices on the left.
One year into Trump’s second term, young men, podcasts bros included, seem to be turning on the president. As Democrats look to strengthen their standing with young voters in the next year’s midterms, Piker’s Twitch stream might be a strategic campaign stop — just know he hopes to stream less in 2026.
What was the most memorable moment from this year?
For me, the ICE protests in America. When ICE started turning violent on me and fellow Americans across the country.
Which of your dreams came true?
There is a 34-year-old socialist mayor who ran on affordability and defeated all odds.
What do you already regret?
Not taking more time off this year, and not doing less politics next year.
What vices are you giving up or carrying with you into next year?
My crippling nicotine and caffeine addiction will be carried into the next year.
Who do you think made the biggest splash this year (if not yourself)?
Zohran Mamdani.
How did you survive the hard parts?
I have an incredible community, and I am very stubborn and very mission-focused and I have a positive vision for the future I’m working towards, so no matter what happens, I can put my head down and keep pushing forward.
What’s the biggest existential threat to human life?
AI, disinformation, and hatred, these three things combined make an incredibly dangerous combination.
What (if anything) is giving you hope about the year ahead?
I think people are very fed up with the lack of change from either major party, and I think it’s causing them to look for alternatives, and it’s leading them in the direction of a socialist alternative.
Who’s someone we should be paying attention to next year?
Dr. Abdul El-Sayed
What’s a goal you’re setting for yourself next year?
Stream less, enjoy life more, and spend more time with friends and family.
Favorite movie of the year?
One Battle After Another
Favorite music of the year?
EsDeeKid
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