Hasan Piker: a "himbo gateway drug" for progressives?

[ad_1] What is going on on with males nowadays? This man could know higher than anybody.

For a few of you studying this, Hasan Piker wants no introduction. He is among the main voices in progressive political content material on-line, boasting an enormous 2.9 million followers on Twitch alone. He is polarizing, charismatic, and (sort of) a bro. And his followers love him. Simply take this Instagram remark for instance: "To not be dramatic, however I might die for this man lol."

With all of the discourse about younger males flocking to the political proper due to on-line commentators like Joe Rogan and Theo Von, some have began asking if Piker is the Joe Rogan of the left? A fan on TikTok did seek advice from Piker as "the himbo gateway drug to leftist thought."

It is Been A Minute host Brittany Luse sat down with Piker to get into what younger males are searching for proper now, why he argues 'bro tradition' is not only for the best, and his warning for Democrats.

This It is Been A Minute interview has been edited for size and readability.

Interview highlights What's a "Progressive Thoughts in a MAGA physique?"

Brittany Luse: Earlier this 12 months, you have been profiled by the New York Instances, and that headline was actually one thing. The headline was "Hasan Piker: A Progressive Thoughts and a MAGA physique," which, I've to ask, what's a MAGA physique? Are you aware what that's?

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/1374x316+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/png/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F5f%2F63%2Fe8a55b0d4651baae4a63a3a43988%2Fnyt-hasan-piker.png" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/1374x316+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F5f%2F63%2Fe8a55b0d4651baae4a63a3a43988%2Fnyt-hasan-piker.png" class="img" alt="Screengrab of The New York Times profile of Hasan Piker from April 2025" loading="lazy"/> Screengrab of The New York Instances profile of Hasan Piker from April 2025 conceal caption

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Hasan Piker: I consider that they have been attempting to say that there is quite a lot of content material creators within the manosphere that work out. And if you invoke the MAGA physique, I do not assume most individuals, New York Instances readers or not, are going to assume like a really broad, brolic man. They are going to think about, I do not know, somebody like a traditional American, the typical American.

Brittany Luse: And but it feels like that headline sort of tied masculinity to a sure kind of physique or masculinity to MAGA in a extremely particular means.

Hasan Piker: For positive. I feel that is deliberate, and I feel it is flawed. I do not assume masculinity is related to MAGA. I do not even assume masculinity is essentially related to figuring out. I feel what we contemplate to be masculine is simply confidence and an illustration of management expertise. That is what most of those individuals are pointing to once they speak about being alpha or being masculine basically.

Brittany Luse: Why do you assume these actions, like figuring out video video games, and so on, why do you assume they're conservative coded?

Hasan Piker: I would not say they're essentially conservative coded. I'd simply merely say that they're simpler to be branded as apolitical. I imply, there is a very humorous, lengthy standing joke or meme within the gaming sphere the place folks will say, "Oh, why do you've got politics in my video video games?" "Get politics out of my video video games" is that this rallying cry from Gamergate onward, and it often is deployed at any online game that has like a black feminine protagonist. And these guys will unironically say issues like "Name of Obligation shouldn't be political" or "Name of Obligation wasn't political till there was a black lady in it." And Name of Obligation has, in fact, at all times been political. It is generally making a criticism of American imperialism. In different cases, it is fairly actually defending American imperialism. However it's by no means not political. It is simply that quite a lot of guys do not learn it as politics when it is one thing that they agree with or aren't placing a lot thought into. And I feel that is what occurs in quite a lot of these areas for lots of those hobbies is that we cede territory to proper wing actors as a result of they get to angle it as if they're above the pursuits of politics, as if they're completely above the realm of politics, like they are not doing any political evaluation. Do not attempt to learn an excessive amount of into this factor. Simply take pleasure in it.

Is Hasan Piker the Joe Rogan of the left?

Hasan Piker: Individuals hold asking me about whether or not or not we want a Joe Rogan or a left, or whether or not or not I'm the Joe Rogan of the left. And I hold repeating to the Democrats a minimum of, {that a} Joe Rogan shouldn't be going to resolve their issues. They should change their insurance policies. They should truly, you realize, do actual politics. There was a man on the market who truly was organically doing precisely the issues that I used to be saying. And he had super success within the Democratic main within the New York mayoral race.

Brittany Luse: Zohran Mamdani, yeah.

Hasan Piker: He requested folks, why did you vote for Trump? What are a few of your greatest considerations? And he recognized 5 of them and he stated, "These are my 5 insurance policies. I am operating on this." I will do a hire freeze. It has been finished earlier than. I will make the buses quick and free. I will enhance the housing provide. I am additionally going to tax the tremendous wealthy to the perfect of my means. And other people checked out that and have been like, okay, that sounds nice. That is precisely what I am searching for.

Brittany Luse: I imply, quite a lot of political commentators have interpreted Zohran Mamdani win as like some type of grand shock.

Hasan Piker: No disrespect to your colleagues, or no disrespect to the members of conventional media, however they solely determine Zohran's victory with like he is younger, he is charismatic and he did good social media. Sure. All three of these issues are true. However they solely performed a job in highlighting the platform insurance policies that he had. It is truly the insurance policies that triggered folks to concentrate to him.

What Hasan Piker sees on-line that you're lacking

Hasan Piker: I used to be simply fascinated with this the opposite day, however I really feel like younger conservatives, particularly those that work in politics, are undoubtedly much more ideologically invested in far proper Nazi stuff or Catholic Nationalism or Christian dominionism – no matter iteration of far proper ideology they've developed for themselves. It is often a manifestation of fascism. And I feel there's much more folks, particularly in politics, which can be beneath the age of 35, on the Republican aspect, that abide by these ideas than we predict. So I say watch this area. There's additionally one other factor that I have been noticing the place pure reactionary politics have mainly become this unbelievable endeavor, the place it is so hyper targeted on "proudly owning the libs" and getting a response out of liberals, it doesn't matter what their response is. Disgust, revulsion continues to be, I feel, thought of a optimistic in conservative circles.

Brittany Luse: If you speak about proudly owning the libs…Something that irritates you, is a win for me.

Hasan Piker: Any sort of irritation is a win. It does not matter what the punishment is for your self, the penalties are for your self that you just're incurring within the course of. It is like a toddler.

Host: Brittany LuseProducers: Alexis Williams, Neena PathakVideo Editor: Grace RaverVideographers: Courtney Theophin, Alicia Zheng, Tsering Bista, Abi InmanCamera Utilities: Bruce GrantAudio Engineers: Kwesi Lee, Cena Loffredo, Robert RodriguezSupervising Editors: Barton Girdwood, Nick MichaelExecutive Producers: Veralyn Williams, Samantha Melbourneweaver