Left-wing streamer Hasan Piker criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani for not being enough of a bomb-thrower, suggesting that his “cautious” messaging is a turn-off to the radicals.
Mamdani may be emerging as a force in a Democratic Party that is marching headlong into socialism, but his weasel words are too tepid for the true believers, at least in the opinion of Piker, an increasingly influential voice on the left.
The nephew of “Young Turks” founder Cenk Uygur criticized Hizzoner during an appearance on the latest edition of the “We’re Not Kidding” podcast that was published by Zeteo on Wednesday.
“I just listened to his new New York Times conversation where The New York Times asked him, like, ‘If you had unlimited money, what would you do?’” Piker told host Mehdi Hasan. “He’s like, ‘Exactly the same policies I’m implementing.’ I’m like, ‘Shut the f**k up, dude.’”
The critique of the socialist star came as Piker and Hasan were talking about whether far-left politicians are unwilling to defend their risky positions and back down when faced with criticism.
Piker also singled out socialist diva and potential Dem 2028 White House hopeful Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) as a disingenuous waffler.
“If you come across as, like, even a little worried or even a little defensive, then people respond to that with, ‘Oh, maybe she doesn’t believe this either,’” he said.
“The way she carries herself, I think, is a little bit too, like, optics-driven, too liberal and too optics-driven,” Piker added about AOC.
“I think Zohran has done a pretty good job of merging those two worlds where he speaks the language of liberalism,” he said of Mamdani, striking a contrast between the Big Apple mayor and the ambitious former bartender turned congresswoman.
The far-left firebrand said that just because he told Mamdani to “shut the f**k up,” it didn’t mean that he’s ready to jump off the Zo train.
“I mean, come on,” he said. “I love the guy. I have my disagreements with him from time to time,” adding that he expects leftist politicians to be “bold, brave and unapologetic.”
Piker was still wearing his Chairman Mao-style suit that he sported during his speech at the 2026 College Democrats of America Convention in Washington, D.C., over the weekend; he’s a big fan of the murderous Chinese dictator.
Dressed like Mao and talking about how much he hates the majority of Democrats as an invited guest of @CollegeDems. Our party having a normal one. pic.twitter.com/y1QDuF7I9Q
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) July 19, 2026
“No more to Trumpism, but no more to the Democrats who compromise, who conciliate, and who betray us,” Piker ranted during the speech. “No more to the fascist reactionaries, but no more to the Democrats who will collaborate and cooperate with the fascists, who will fund ICE, who will fund Israel, who will help poison the planet, who will stiff workers and help bosses.”
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