Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) on Sunday said that those who push to not “engage” with popular Twitch streamer and left-wing political commentator Hasan Piker “will cost us future elections.”
“The lesson of the last election is we’ve got to be out there. We’ve got to engage. It’s a complex, messy, multiracial democracy. I will defend my views, but the people who are saying, ‘Don’t engage,’ will cost us future elections,” Khanna told NBC News’s Kristen Welker on “Meet the Press.”
Piker, who has a history of making controversial statements, is often critical of both Democrats and Republicans in his streams. He is also a notable critic of Israel and Zionism.
According to a Politico report from last month, multiple notable Democrats, including Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), rejected the idea of joining Piker on his stream when asked by the outlet.