Newsom Says He’d Meet With Socialist Twitch Streamer Who Believes America ‘Deserved 9/11’

Governor Gavin Newsom, in a move that signals his willingness to court his party’s far-left and anti-Israel factions, says he would appear on the show of a socialist streamer, Hasan Piker, who has drawn accusations of antisemitism and pro-terror rhetoric.Mr. Newsom expressed his openness to appearing with Mr. Piker during an interview on Thursday with a progressive Gen Z commentator and ardent Israel critic, Jack Cocchiarella. While discussing alternative media platforms, Mr. Cocchiarella asked the governor whether he would sit for a conversation with Mr. Piker, whose hours-long livestreams rack up hundreds of thousands of views. Mr. Newsom replied: “Yeah, I might.”Mr. Piker appeared to welcome the offer, declaring during a concurrent livestream, “Gavin Newsom has officially said yes to coming on the broadcast.”Over the past year, Mr. Newsom has sat down with media personalities from across the political spectrum. He notably appeared on the YouTube show of the late Turning Point USA founder, Charlie Kirk, in 2025, and in January taped a conversation with the conservative commentator who founded the Daily Wire, Ben Shapiro. Mr. Piker, a 34-year-old Turkish-American Twitch streamer, has built a significant following through lengthy livestreams offering left-wing commentary on politics and social issues. He has been embraced by the left as an influential voice for Gen Z socialists and Democrats.He is also a staunch opponent of Israel’s existence, identifying as an ardent anti-Zionist. Mr. Piker has drawn sharp criticism for justifying and downplaying Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre — dismissing reports of Hamas’s rape of Israeli women as “rape fantasies” and “rape hallucinations” — and for expressing open support for the terror organization.He has said Hamas is “a thousand times better than” Israel, which he has called “the fascist settler colonial apartheid state.” He has also trafficked in antisemitic rhetoric, calling Orthodox Jews “inbred” and comparing Zionists to Nazis.Beyond his commentary on Israel, Mr. Piker has ignited controversy by claiming America “deserved 9/11” and urging California tenants to “murder” their landlords “in the streets” and “let the streets soak in their fucking red capitalist blood.” Mr. Newsom’s willingness to engage with Mr. Piker adds fuel to speculation that the California governor is shifting left on Israel ahead of the 2028 election. Earlier this week, Mr. Newsom likened Israel to an “apartheid state” and expressed support for reconsidering American military aid to the country.Mr. Newsom also declared Monday that he never has “and never will” accept money from the pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC. Disavowing the organization has become an increasingly common gesture among politicians courting a Democratic base that has grown skeptical of Israel and its alliance with the United States.

Newsom Says He’d Meet With Socialist Twitch Streamer Who Believes America ‘Deserved 9/11’

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