New Jersey Democratic congressional candidate Adam Hamawy came to the defense of radical leftist streamer Hasan Piker’s vile “America deserved 9/11” comments during an interview, stating that the comment should be kept “in perspective.” Hamawy is a retired Army surgeon and the Democratic Party nominee for the Garden State’s 12th Congressional District.
Hamawy’s comments were made during an appearance he made in an online interview with Walter Masterson. Piker also gave Hamawy his endorsement for the House seat and rallied for him just before the June primary. He has also been endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
When the New Jersey Democrat was asked about Piker’s horrific comments, he suggested that the online streamer and influencer deserved a little slack. “I think we have to put it all in perspective. And I do believe he regrets saying that,” Hamawy said of Piker’s remarks. He then said that, regardless of the 9/11 comments, he still fully supports Piker.
“I still love the guy though,” Hamawy told Masterson. Piker made his statement during a livestream, saying, “America deserved 9/11, dude.” During that same stream, he ruthlessly mocked Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX). Crenshaw, who is largely considered by many within the conservative movement to be a Republican In Name Only, also served as a Navy SEAL and lost his eye in combat.
According to a report from Breitbart News, Piker has also justified the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel and has referred to Orthodox Jews as “inbred.” Hamawy stated that prior to his campaign, he barely knew Piker. He said his kids were the ones who told him about Piker, stating before that he had not watched any of his livestreams.
Masterson started the interview by saying, “I love Hasan Piker.” He attempted to make the case that critics “blow it out of proportion,” going on to offer his own defense of the controversial influencer. “If I had to ramble for eight hours, I don’t know what would come out of my mouth,” Masterson said. Hamawy agreed.
Hamawy’s defense of Piker comes as he prepares for the general election in November 2026. The New Jersey Democrat is already being scrutinized for his connection to Omar Abdel-Rahman, also known as the “Blind Sheikh.” Abdel-Rahman was found guilty by a jury of seditious conspiracy concerning a plot to bomb various landmarks in New York.
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Hamawy gave testimony in Abdel-Rahman’s defense during his 1995 trial. He has also been connected with a 1994 stint with a Bosnia-based nonprofit group that authorities later shut down due to ties to the Al-Qaeda terrorist organization. Hamawy’s campaign put out a statement saying that the nominee “condemns that man’s violent rhetoric and actions, and all violence, hatred, and terrorism.”
The statement then hammered the media, describing the coverage the matter received as “built-by-association attacks on Muslim and Arab candidates.” Hamawy is not the first political candidate to offer up a defense of Piker. Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed also said that the comment needed to be viewed in “context.” Piker himself said the comment was “inappropriate” in 2019.
Featured Image: screenshot from embedded video