Twitch streamer Hasan Piker has drawn scrutiny after displaying a framed copy of The New York Times’ September 12, 2001, front page—showing the Twin Towers in flames—in his stream background, first noticed by viewers on July 13, 2026.
Piker announced the addition to his setup during a recent broadcast, telling viewers: “You might have noticed something, some changes behind me. I finally framed the cutie Cinderella newspaper from 9/11, the morning of 9/12… the newspaper that covered 9/11. It’s now officially sitting behind me.” The front page bore the headline “U.S. Attacked: Hijacked Jets Destroy Twin Towers and Hit Pentagon in Day of Terror.”
The renewed attention to Piker’s 9/11 imagery stems partly from his higher visibility in Democratic political circles. He was featured as a speaker at the College Democrats of America convention in Washington, D.C., from July 17 through July 19, 2026, where he addressed the audience in what many described as a Mao Zedong-esque jacket and condemned “Democrats who compromise, who conciliate, and who betray us.” That appearance sparked backlash from multiple Jewish organizations.
Piker’s past comments on 9/11 resurfaced in the coverage. In 2019, he said during a livestream that “America deserved 9/11” while reacting to political content. After facing intense backlash, Piker said in an interview that he “obviously” did not mean that America deserved the attacks and characterized the comment as a critique of U.S. foreign policy. “I should have used more precise and better use of language there,” he said at the time, adding that the comments were “inappropriate.”
The College Democrats of America convention speech drew criticism from the CDA Jewish Caucus, which called Piker “antisemitic and misogynistic” and stated that his normalization in the convention represented “a direct threat to Jewish safety and inclusion.” The Anti-Defamation League also expressed disappointment at his inclusion, writing on X that it was “deeply concerning to see the next generation of political leaders help normalize antisemitism rather than reject it.”
J Street U, the campus arm of the pro-Israel, pro-peace organization J Street, was a co-sponsor of the convention. Founder Jeremy Ben Ami told Fox News Digital that J Street U had no role in selecting speakers, including Piker, and said “being in venues like this is even more important when there are participants with whom we disagree.”
Some Democratic politicians and candidates have campaigned with Piker despite the controversies. Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, State Assemblywoman Claire Valdez of New York, and activist Darializa Avila Chevalier have appeared alongside him, prompting debate within Democratic circles over whether his platform helps reach younger voters or whether his rhetoric makes such associations politically costly.
Sources
- New York Post — reported on the framed 9/11 newspaper in Piker’s stream background, his statement about displaying it, the 2019 “America deserved 9/11” comments and his later clarification, the CDA convention speech and backlash from Jewish organizations, and Democratic politicians’ campaign appearances with Piker
