When Hasan Piker Met Mehdi Hasan [buYka2WKun1]
This episode is sponsored by Odoo. Go to to try it for free. “How is it that a 34 year-old Turkish-American socialist Twitch streamer is now a kingmaker in the Democratic Party of the United States?” Hasan Piker says he can take the heat. The famous political commentator has spent the past several months as the primary target of the Democratic party establishment for what they claim are his repugnant views. According to Hasan, the real reason is the success of the broader left movement that he has been a vocal advocate for. Now, he sits down with Mehdi in Washington, D.C. to talk about becoming a “lightning rod” and the recent Democratic primaries shaking up the political landscape, like the upcoming Michigan Senate primary between the AIPAC-backed Haley Stevens and the progressive Abdul El-Sayed. The polls are close, the money is overwhelming (Stevens has a 12-1 spending advantage over El-Sayed), yet Hasan explains why he thinks “this race will shock the world.” They also get into the whole Tucker Carlson debate. Is Tucker setting up JD Vance for 2028, or is he planning his own presidential run? Hasan and Mehdi unpack whether the right-wing Christian nationalist can be a trusted ally on Gaza and Israel. The Hasans also discuss: - Socialism’s rising popularity in the U.S. - Hasan being targeted by both Democrats and Republicans. - Accusations of antisemitism. - Mehdi’s appearance on the PBD podcast. - Marco Rubio vs. JD Vance. - The hypocrisy of Joe Rogan and Bill Maher. -And which Democrat Hasan wants to run in 2028… CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Opening montage 1:59 - Intro 6:25 - Is Hasan a kingmaker? 9:18 - Socialism 12:06 - Michigan primary race 19:55 - Dems attacking Hasan 21:43 - Problematic clips 34:54 - Republican attacks 36:35 - Banned from the UK 39:12 - Tucker Carlson 42:36 - Vance vs. Rubio 49:40 - Joe Rogan & Bill Maher 51:25 - Which Dem for 2028? 53:30 - Could AOC win? 59:56 - “STFU” Mamdani This interview was published July 22, 2026 on Zeteo.com. If you want early access to ‘We’re Not Kidding’, as well as hard-hitting, independent journalism, subscribe on Substack here: Listen to ‘We’re Not Kidding’ as a podcast: Apple: Spotify: Find Zeteo: Twitter: Instagram: TikTok: Find Mehdi: Substack: Twitter: Instagram: Tik Tok: Credits: Hosted by Mehdi Hasan Guest Host: Hasan Piker Executive Producer: Kiran Alvi Senior Producer and Editor: Frank Cappello Producer: Melanie Riehl Music: Andy Clausen Design: Alicia Tatone Mix Engineer: Valentino Rivera Title Animation: Ehsaan Mesghali Special thanks to: Aaliyah Haque To advertise on the show, contact [email protected] or visit