Hasan Piker is in trouble for something he said, and nobody should be surprised or feel bad for him. The question is why those around Piker aren’t being held to account.
Piker is a commentator at the left-wing network The Young Turks, founded by his uncle Cenk Uygur. Piker went on a rant recently praising the terrorist who blew up Republican Dan Crenshaw in combat as “a brave f–king soldier.” He cheerfully celebrated said mujahedeen “f–k[ing]” Crenshaw’s “eye hole with their dick.”
This wasn’t some hot mic moment. Nobody coaxed him into saying it. No, Piker was simply set off by the freshman congressman’s amiable sit-down with Joe Rogan and felt that the world must hear his obscene pontification on the podcast.
Piker’s problem isn’t that he believes out-there things. I think Glenn Greenwald has objectionable ideas, but he’s an intellectual with serious thoughts about the pervasiveness of the police state and the role of the American military. Piker is simply a professional Twitter troll who’s appeal includes harassing Tomi Lahren with despicably sexist remarks.
Almost nobody treats him seriously. Yet, he’s given a spot on a network whose honcho, Uncle Cenk Uygur, is treated seriously. In fact, Uygur was on CNN today, hours after his nephew’s rant went viral. And yet …
CNN’s Chris Cuomo had The Young Turks’ Cenk Uygur on tonight to bash Trump
Hasan Piker, who is Uygur’s nephew and works for him at TYT, said today that a “brave” terrorist ” f***ed” Dan Crenshaw’s “eye hole” and that America “deserved 9/11”
Cuomo did not ask Uygur about it pic.twitter.com/14ZGkWot4Z
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) August 22, 2019
Lo and behold, our firefighting news anchor had nothing about it to ask the TYT founder.
I get that the heroes of our free press are still rubbing their eyes from an eight-year nap, but journalists actually do have an important job in holding the powerful to account. That includes not only the president but also his political opposition, including in the media.
