Stephen A. Smith Warns Hasan Piker Could Hurt Democrats

Stephen A. Smith thinks Democrats are playing with fire.

The ESPN personality warned Thursday that Hasan Piker’s growing influence on the left may energize progressives now but could punish Democrats once general-election voters pay closer attention.

“It’s a negative,” Smith told Politico’s Dasha Burns.

“Over the long haul, from a general populist perspective, it’s going to contaminate the electorate on the left side of the aisle.”

Then the warning: “It’s going to come back to haunt them.”

That matters most in Michigan, where Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed has leaned into Piker’s massive online audience while resisting repeated calls to disavow him outright.

El-Sayed previously told Smith exactly why.

“What I’m saying is there are 3 million people who listen to Hasan,” El-Sayed said. “I want to offer them a pathway into an electoral movement.”

Smith translated the strategy bluntly:

“You’re thinking about the 3 million people that support him, and you’re trying to get those votes.”

“Exactly,” El-Sayed replied.

🚨Wow. Stephen A. Smith asked Abdul El-Sayed if there’s anything Hasan Piker could say that he would condemn. Abdul said no, because he wants access to his audience. There you have it. pic.twitter.com/oE4pjx1y2B

— Great Lakes HQ (@GreatLakes_HQ) September 3, 2026

The problem is what comes with the audience.

Piker’s inflammatory record — including his infamous “America deserved 9/11” remark and recent backlash over comments about American Jews — has given Republicans an easy way to tie Democratic candidates to the socialist left.

And the latest Michigan numbers show why that could matter.

A recent Fox News poll found Republican Mike Rogers leading El-Sayed 51% to 47%, within the margin of error. El-Sayed dominated among self-described Democratic Socialists of America supporters, but his backing dropped sharply among non-DSA Democrats and independents.

That is basically Smith’s warning in poll form.

Piker may help El-Sayed consolidate the activist left.

But if he repels everyone else, the math gets ugly fast.

Watch the clip below:

During his interview with @politico, Stephen A. Smith said that Hasan Piker’s influence on the Democratic Party is a “net negative” but also follows that up with saying he has never done his research about Hasan and has only heard about him through mainstream media. Smith also… pic.twitter.com/FhF3FRtVaW

— adri ♡ (@socialistadri) September 3, 2026