Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) has publicly rejected comments made by far-left political streamer Hasan Piker, days after Piker described the Georgia Democrat as a potential “dark-horse” candidate for the 2028 presidential election, as reported by Breitbart.
A spokesperson for Ossoff said Thursday that the senator “unreservedly rejects” Piker’s rhetoric after the online commentator made remarks suggesting that American Jews could face violence because of their support for Israel.
The spokesperson said Ossoff rejects “reckless and dangerous rhetoric suggesting that policy advocacy invites violence against the Jewish community or any community.”
Ossoff, Georgia’s first Jewish senator, also addressed the broader issue of Americans being able to advocate for political causes without fearing retaliation.
“American Jews and all Americans must have the freedom and security to speak out and petition their government without fear of reprisal,” Ossoff said.
The controversy stems from an Aug. 20 livestream that lasted nearly seven hours. During the broadcast, Piker displayed a photograph of Michigan state Sen. Jeremy Moss on screen.
“If Jews in America keep putting this idea out there that they are singularly invested in Israel, eventually someone’s going to come around and take action, not against the State of Israel, mind you, but against American Jews,” Piker said.
Moss, who is Jewish, is also the Democratic nominee in Michigan’s 11th Congressional District. He said an audio clip circulating online had been fabricated.
The clip portrayed him as claiming that his campaign for Congress existed solely to maintain continued U.S. support for Israel.
Piker’s remarks prompted criticism from several prominent Democrats.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) condemned the comments Monday without initially naming Piker.
When asked on CNN the following day whether he was referring to the streamer, Jeffries confirmed that he was.
“Those comments were dangerous, malicious and antisemitic and should not be tolerated by anyone in the public square,” Jeffries said.
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) also criticized Piker during an appearance on CNN’s Inside Politics, describing the streamer’s argument as a “Nazi-like formula” and arguing that elected officials who refuse to condemn such rhetoric bear responsibility for remaining silent.
“You’re complicit if you refuse to condemn comments like that,” Gottheimer said.
Piker responded to the criticism by blaming the pro-Israel lobby. He claimed that an “AIPAC boss call was made” and said lawmakers speaking out against him were “unanimous in their hatred.”
He also suggested examining how much money his critics had received from AIPAC and described the growing backlash as a “coordinated smear campaign.”
The controversy has also drawn attention because of Piker’s involvement in Democratic politics during the current election cycle.
Piker has used his large online platform to promote Democratic candidates and causes.
Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed held a primary election event at a Detroit pool party attended by Piker, although El-Sayed’s statement addressing the controversy did not mention the streamer by name.
Piker has also spoken favorably about Ossoff, previously describing the Georgia senator as a “dark-horse” presidential prospect for 2028.
Ossoff’s response now places him among a growing list of Democratic officials publicly distancing themselves from Piker’s remarks.
Republican Senate nominee Mike Collins has also pointed to Piker’s praise of Ossoff while framing the Georgia Senate race.
“This race is simple: It’s America vs. the people who hate it.”
The dispute has added another political dimension to the controversy surrounding Piker as Democratic officials face increasing pressure to address his remarks.
For Ossoff, who had previously been mentioned favorably by the streamer as a possible future presidential candidate, the message from his office was clear: praise for a 2028 run does not amount to a free pass when the rhetoric crosses the line.
