Left-wing pundit Hasan Piker claims he was detained at US border and questioned on political views

American Twitch streamer and left-wing pundit, Hasan Piker, says he was detained by US border agents at an airport and questioned over his political views.

The 33-year-old influencer, known for challenging right-wing rhetoric, particularly in the US, claims that he was detained at a border checkpoint at the O’Hare International Airport after returning to Chicago from France.

Hasan Piker said that during the alleged detainment, border agents questioned him on his left-wing views, including his stance on president Donald Trump and the ongoing bombardment of Gaza.

“It was an insane situation,” Piker said to his followers on Monday (12 May). “It’s very obvious that they know exactly who I was.”

He added that he felt it was “obvious” that the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) authorities had made a plan to “navigate the conversation,” which he said was “really interesting.”

“It was very cordial,” he continued. “I thought it was strange how cordial it was.”

Piker, whose Twitch username is HasanAbi, is among one of the biggest Twitch streamers in the world and one of the most influential left-wing pundits, particularly for young people.

He has collaborated with several influential figures, including members of the LGBTQ+ community, including Vivian Jenna Wilson, Bernie Sanders, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC).

Responding to the claims, US government official, Tricia McLaughlin, argued that it was a “routine” inspection while accusing Hasan Piker of “lying for likes” through “baseless” accusations.

In an official statement, CBP said the officers involved in the inspection were “following the law, not agendas,” adding that the streamer was “promptly released” following the inspection.

But Piker pushed back, saying that several of the alleged questions pertained to Donald Trump, Israel, Hamas, and his Twitch platform.

He accused the government of trying to create an “environment of fear” in an attempt to silence critics.

“They’re not even disputing that it happened, they’re omitting the insane questions that were asked and instead claiming that I wasn’t targeted for my political beliefs,” he said.