Left-wing streamer Hasan Piker’s admiration for communist China has become so pronounced that even his own mother has distanced herself from his views, according to a profile published Sunday by Rolling Stone.
The magazine portrayed Piker as a “matinee-handsome progressive icon” who is “uniquely talented at translating radical-left politics for Gen Z bros.” But amid the glowing profile, one notable disagreement emerged from someone close to him.
Piker’s mother, Sedaf, who reportedly shares many of her son’s political beliefs, said his enthusiasm for China goes further than she is willing to support.
“I’m not in love with China like he is,” she told Rolling Stone.
Her comments follow a series of public statements in which Piker has praised China while criticizing the United States.
During a livestream from a visit to China last year, Piker said he would never criticize Mao Zedong, the founder of the country’s communist government.
“I got stopped by a cop who thought I was making fun of Mao Zedong, which I never would and never will,” Piker said during the stream. “Mao Zedong is one of the great leaders of this world, OK? A man who changed the entire universe, the entire planet.”
Mao’s rule included the implementation of the “Great Leap Forward,” a policy that the article states resulted in the deaths of tens of millions of people in China.
Piker also spoke enthusiastically about the country during the trip, describing China in glowing terms and praising both its economy and development.
“You have abundance-style consumption paired up with a centrally controlled economy and economic system that has yielded tremendous development,” Piker said. “You have 1950s Soviet-era building blocks next to the Gucci store. If there was ever a country that represented the synthesis of the things that I enjoy so much personally, if ever such a country existed, I do not know.”
He also referred to China as “f*cking sick” while discussing his impressions of the country.
While praising China, Piker also expressed a lack of attachment to the United States.
According to the article, he declared that he has “no patriotism” in his heart for America.
The profile also referenced one of Piker’s previous controversial remarks about the United States, noting that he had previously said the country “deserved” to be attacked on Sept. 11, 2001.
Although Rolling Stone’s profile largely celebrated Piker’s influence among younger progressive audiences, his mother’s comments stood out as a rare point of disagreement from someone who otherwise shares much of his political outlook.
Her remark underscored that, even among those closest to him, Piker’s outspoken admiration for communist China has drawn criticism.
The profile highlighted Piker’s continued prominence as a left-wing online personality while also revisiting several of his most controversial statements about both China and the United States, including praise for Mao Zedong, favorable comments about China’s political and economic system, and his repeated criticism of America.
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