{
  "id": 8130158,
  "title": "US conducted 'tremendous terror,' worse than al-Qaeda, Hasan Piker says in Axios interview",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/us-conducted-tremendous-terror-worse-than-al-qaeda-hasan-piker-says",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-18T00:20:44.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Jerusalem Post",
    "slug": "jerusalem-post",
    "url": "https://www.jpost.com/international/article-909011"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Hasan Piker, a prominent far-left Twitch streamer and political commentator with a substantial following, recently asserted that the United States has perpetrated more terrorism than al-Qaeda in a recent Axios interview. Piker, who has garnered over 3 million followers on Twitch, has been actively campaigning for Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for Michigan senator. Piker's interview on Thursday saw him emphasizing that the US has caused \"tremendous terror all around the world\" and committed more terrorism \"pound for pound\" compared to al-Qaeda in terms of the number of deaths. He cited the March deadly strike on an elementary school in Minab, Iran, as a prime example of US terrorism. Despite the Trump administration's refusal to release findings from a Pentagon investigation into the strike, evidence suggests that at least one US missile targeted the school. Piker emphasized that killing 140 schoolgirls constitutes an act of terror and called for accountability measures to prevent such incidents in the future. While Piker does not believe that all Americans are terrorists, he acknowledged the need to establish an environment of accountability to ensure that such acts do not recur. The interview also shed light on Piker's connection to El-Sayed, which has been a subject of controversy due to ads targeting El-Sayed's association with Piker. Republican-affiliated groups have spent nearly $3 million in ads attacking El-Sayed, featuring a clip of Piker stating that \"America deserved 9/11\" from 2019, a statement for which he has since apologized. Piker maintained that the 9/11 terror attacks were not justified but was attempting to analyze ways to prevent further violence, both globally and domestically. El-Sayed has largely ignored his connection with Piker, often referring to him as just a \"streamer in California.\" El-Sayed emphasized that he does not agree with Piker's belief about the US and al-Qaeda and is more focused on the dangerous policies of Donald Trump and Mike Rogers, which are driving up the costs of essential goods like gas, groceries, and healthcare for Michigan residents.",
  "summary": "Piker, who has over 3 million followers and is one of the most popular streamers on Twitch, came under renewed attention due to his participation in campaigning for the Abdul El-Sayed.",
  "key_points": [
    "US caused more terrorism than al-Qaeda, says Hasan Piker",
    "140 schoolgirls killed in Iran strike cited as example",
    "Accountability sought to prevent future US terrorism acts"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Hasan Piker's comments equate US actions to terrorism, shifting focus from foreign entities to domestic accountability and potentially impacting his associated candidate Abdul El-Sayed's campaign narrative and voter perception.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}