The rise of Hasan Piker as an influential left-wing commentator has created a political headache for Democrats as the party debates whether to associate with someone who once said that “America deserved 9/11.”

Piker, who gained notoriety as a Twitch streamer and today has a large following online, has become a surrogate for Democrats, particularly progressive candidates, in the midterm elections and has hosted lawmakers such as Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) on his stream.