Vice President JD Vance accused Democrats of refusing to distance themselves from left-wing streamer Hasan Piker, arguing that fear of alienating the party’s base is allowing the “radical left” to shape the Democratic Party ahead of the midterm elections.
In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail following a campaign rally in North Carolina on Tuesday, Vance cited several of Piker’s most controversial remarks as evidence of what he described as the Democratic Party’s growing radicalism.
Vance highlighted Piker’s “completely insane” statements, including his claim that the United States is the “top dog in terrorism” and worse than al Qaeda.
The 35-year-old Twitch streamer has also pointed to communist China as an economic and political “model” that the United States could follow.
Piker has campaigned alongside or interviewed at least a dozen Democratic candidates seeking seats in Congress. Among the most prominent are Michigan Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed and New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
“This is not a party that’s actually about the American people anymore,” Vance told the Daily Mail. “It really is a party that’s dominated by and controlled by the far-left radical left.”
Republican advertising in Michigan has seized on Piker’s claim that America “deserved” the September 11 attacks, using the remark to target El-Sayed, 41, in his Senate contest against Trump-backed candidate Mike Rogers, 63.
The contest is rated a toss-up, with polling showing the two candidates locked in a close race.
A Washington Post/George Mason University poll conducted from September 10 to 14 found El-Sayed leading Rogers by three percentage points, 48 percent to 45 percent.
Vice President JD Vance urged North Carolina supporters to reject Democratic candidates he said had been captured by the radical left
Left-wing streamer Hasan Piker poses for a selfie with Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed after a campaign event
El-Sayed has sought to distance himself from some of Piker’s most controversial remarks
El-Sayed has defended his association with Piker, saying he disagrees with some of the streamer’s more extreme comments about terrorism but believes Piker’s large audience is still worth engaging.
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Piker, a prominent young Democratic socialist, has more than three million followers on Twitch and nearly two million subscribers across YouTube and Instagram.
Vance, however, characterized Piker’s ideology as “straight-up Marxism” combined with elements of economic populism.
“Many other people said things more interestingly well before he did without all the crazy s**t,” Vance told the Daily Mail.
Vance said Republicans once campaigned against Democrats whose views were considered notably liberal, but argued those politicians were not as “crazy” as the Democrats he associates with the party in 2026.
“It’s hard to tag Barack Obama or Bill Clinton as complete insane people. However much you might disagree with their policies, it’s a lot easier to tag El-Sayed and AOC as crazy people because of all the crazy stuff they’ve said and done in public life,” he said.
Vance described AOC and El-Sayed as “crazy people,” pointing to their public statements and actions
Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and Hasan Piker attend a party for creators supporting his campaign
Piker has campaigned and supported roughly a dozen Democrats ahead of the midterm elections
Vance campaigned for Republican candidate Michael Whatley in North Carolina on Monday
Vance appeared in North Carolina as Republicans are facing a Democratic upset for control of the seat as former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper is currently leading Republican Senate candidate Michael Whatley by as much as 15 points.
The vice president said he would continue raising Piker’s extreme views to voters, in the hopes of forcing Democrats to disavow them.
‘It’s kind of been fun to see the various candidates on the left when confronted with something this guy said,’ he told the Daily Mail, adding that it should be ‘very easy’ for Democrats to do so.
‘They can’t do that because they’re so controlled by the interest groups of the far left of their own party,’ he stated.