(Pittsburgh, PA – April 10, 2026)— Pennsylvania Representative Summer Lee (PA-12) made the troubling decision to campaign alongside controversial online personality Hasan Piker at the University of Michigan and Michigan State on April 7 in support of Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed.
This decision drew significant criticism and concern across the political spectrum due to Piker’s record of inflammatory, antisemitic, and hateful rhetoric — and, due to a broader concern about elected officials associating with and elevating individuals whose rhetoric has been widely condemned as hateful.
What Happened at the Rallies:
On April 7, 2026, Rep. Lee joined Piker, Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), and Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed at rallies at two Michigan universities. According to reports, the issue that drew the loudest cheers from the crowd was every time a speaker — from El-Sayed to Piker to the newly elected student body president — accused Israel of genocide. Rep. Tlaib told the crowd, “I told Piker just now, I was like, ‘You’re never going to be canceled up in Michigan.'” Piker dismissed a prominent rabbi as “pro-genocide,” continuing his pattern of demonizing pro-Israel voices.
Piker’s Record of Hateful Rhetoric
Piker’s harmful rhetoric includes statements that America “deserved 9/11,” “it doesn’t matter if rape happened on October 7th,” and calling Orthodox Jews “inbred.” He has been temporarily banned from Twitch for using dehumanizing language including “Zionist pigs” and “Israel-first monsters.”
These rallies took place less than a month after a Hezbollah-inspired suspect rammed a truck into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield in March 2026.
StandWithUs Responds
StandWithUs Mid-Atlantic Regional Director Julie Paris issued the following statement:
“On April 7, 2026, Representative Summer Lee, who represents Pennsylvania District 12 — the district where the worst attack on Jews in the United States took place at the Tree of Life synagogue — campaigned alongside Hasan Piker. Piker has said that 9/11 was something that Americans deserved. He has downplayed the rape that took place on October 7, 2023, against Israelis. He has called Zionists ‘Nazis.’
This form of campaigning has no place in American society, and we all have a responsibility to call out hatred, discrimination, and antisemitism wherever we see it. At a time when antisemitism is rising to record levels, it has never been more important for our elected officials to take a firm stance against any figures who may be promoting or amplifying antisemitic and anti-Zionist messaging.
Representative Summer Lee’s decision to campaign alongside Piker sends a message to her constituents that she does not represent all of us. In her role as a leader in Congress, she has a responsibility to represent her Jewish, Zionist, and Israeli constituents just as she would any others.
Sign our campaign against hate. Encourage elected officials to call out antisemitism and anti-Zionism within their own political parties. Share information about antisemitism taking place around the world today with your family and friends. Don’t be silent. Stand with your Jewish friends and neighbors. Stand with us.”
Criticism Spans the Political Spectrum
What is especially notable is that even Rep. Summer Lee’s own colleagues are speaking out and saying saying this crosses a clear line:
Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL), Chair of the New Democratic Coalition: Piker is an “unapologetic antisemite.” “Democrats risk credibility” by failing to confront antisemitism in their ranks.
Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY): Piker “normalizes antisemitism” and is the “antisemitic poster child for a systematically antisemitic social media platform.”
State Rep. Dan Frankel (D-PA) and State Sen. Judy Schwank (D-PA): Piker has “repeatedly trafficked in antisemitic statements.” They urged Rep. Lee to “stand firmly against antisemitism in all its forms.”
Michigan State Sen. Mallory McMorrow: Piker “fans the flames and stokes division.” She added, “I don’t appreciate many of Piker’s antisemitic comments.”
Other leaders have also raised concerns about elevating Piker in campaign settings.
A Pattern of Concern for Rep. Lee
This is not an isolated incident. Rep. Lee previously agreed to withdraw from a fundraising event after backlash over the involvement of speakers with records of extremist rhetoric. More than 40 Pittsburgh-area rabbis and cantors have signed open letters denouncing her failure to call out antisemitism — commitments she made directly to local clergy following October 7.
Take Action
At a time when elected officials are deciding which voices to amplify as they campaign, they must be reminded that hate cannot be given a platform of any kind.
Join the StandWithUs campaign by contacting your elected officials and demand they:
✅ Condemn this partnership and Hasan Piker’s hateful rhetoric
✅ Call on colleagues to distance themselves from Piker and other hateful figures
✅ Reject legitimizing hate — no exceptions
Elected officials are expected to uphold basic standards of leadership — by representing all their constituents, including Jewish and Zionist constituents. They must refuse to legitimize or associate with individuals who promote hateful or antisemitic rhetoric — especially at a time of rising antisemitism.
StandWithUs encourages anyone who has experienced or witnessed antisemitism to report it at standwithus.com/report-an-antisemitic-incident.
