Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., is set to share the stage with far-left streamer Hasan Piker on Monday night despite mounting opposition from fellow Minnesota Democrats, some of whom have publicly urged the congresswoman to cancel the appearance just eight days before the midterm elections.
Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., has called Piker’s rhetoric “polarizing and dangerous” and said embracing him is “a mistake,” while Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s gubernatorial campaign called a number of his past statements “reckless and unacceptable.” Other Democratic officials and party groups have gone further, calling on Omar and state Sen. Omar Fateh, who is hosting the sold-out Minneapolis event, to cancel the appearance.
The controversy is exposing a divide among Minnesota Democrats in the closing stretch of the midterms over whether Piker’s enormous following among younger progressives outweighs the political liability of his past rhetoric. University of Minnesota political science professor Larry Jacobs told FOX 9 the event would “create a split within the DFL,” arguing it could distract statewide Democrats from their closing message and put candidates in a difficult position with moderate and Jewish voters.
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Piker, who commands millions of followers across social media, has faced backlash over remarks involving the Sept. 11 attacks, Hamas, Israel and Jewish people. He later apologized for saying in 2019 that “America deserved 9/11” and has rejected accusations of antisemitism.
Omar’s campaign, however, has defended her decision to participate by pointing to Piker’s appeal among the younger voters Democrats are trying to turn out ahead of Election Day.
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“Early voting among people under 40 is down, and we need to do everything to get young people to the polls,” Omar’s campaign told FOX 9. “The Congresswoman knows the Democratic Party is a Big Tent party, and she’s excited to join Senator Omar Fateh’s event to mobilize young voters and get them to vote in this critical midterm election.”
During an appearance on “Pod Save America” earlier this year, Piker said he would “vote for Hamas over Israel every single time.” He has also described Orthodox Jews as “inbred” and faced renewed criticism this summer over remarks warning that continued American Jewish support for Israel could provoke someone to “take action.”
“People don’t f— with Israel any longer. And if Jews in America keep putting this idea out there that they’re singularly invested in Israel, eventually someone will come around and take action not against Israel, mind you, but against American Jews,” Piker said in August.
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Fox News Digital reached out to Omar’s campaign, Fateh and Piker for additional comment on the mounting criticism and calls to cancel Monday night’s event but did not immediately receive a response.
Fox News Digital’s Brian Flood and Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.