Pod Save America Faces Scrutiny After Temporarily Removing Clip Critical of Streamer Hasan Piker

“Pod Save America,” a prominent progressive podcast produced by Crooked Media, has been accused by a former aide to President Biden of briefly removing a social media video that contained criticism of the far-left streamer Hasan Piker. Following hours of online backlash, the liberal podcast subsequently re-uploaded a more extensive version of the clip.

The popular progressive program, hosted by former staffers from the Obama administration, recently featured MSNBC’s Chris Hayes in a Sunday episode to discuss the state of Democratic politics alongside guest host Alex Wagner. During the discussion, the ties between Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed and Piker were brought up. The liberal commentators’ critical assessment of the contentious streamer was reportedly well-received by moderates.

Controversial Associations and Remarks

El-Sayed has drawn scrutiny for campaigning with Piker, who has previously attributed the September 11, 2001, terror attacks to America's actions and has expressed admiration for authoritarian leaders such as Mao Zedong and Fidel Castro. Democrats are currently deliberating whether Piker’s influence can be beneficial in general elections, despite his inflammatory rhetoric, which also included downplaying the significance of Hamas rapes during the October 7 conflict.

Chris Hayes offered his perspective on the matter during the podcast.

“I don’t think it makes a ton of sense in a general election, frankly, to campaign with Hasan Piker. I think you also can’t control what a 35-year-old streamer is going to say,” Hayes remarked.

Hayes further elaborated on the responsibilities that come with Piker’s platform.

“I also think he is learning the lesson that, with great power comes great responsibility,” Hayes continued. “This is a dude that streams like seven days a week for years, do you know the amount of words he said? Like, you’re going to say some stuff.”

Hayes suggested that Piker might need to adjust his approach moving forward.

“If Hasan Piker wants to contribute to the success of the movement, he’s probably going to have to watch what he says a lot more,” Hayes stated.

Clip Deletion and Public Reaction

While the full “Pod Save America” episode remained accessible on other platforms, Michael LaRosa, who previously served as a special assistant to President Biden, observed that the specific clip had been inexplicably removed from X (formerly Twitter). Gun control activist Shannon Watts was among others who also noted the deletion.

LaRosa, who was press secretary to former first lady Jill Biden, recently signaled a notable divergence from his party. He responded to reports indicating his support for Republican Mike Rogers over El-Sayed, primarily due to El-Sayed’s association with Piker. Piker had drawn widespread condemnation in 2019 after stating in a livestream that “America deserved 9/11.”

LaRosa, who had shared the clip to highlight Democrats’ internal debate over Piker, noticed its removal and publicly criticized the podcast.

“WOW. This is remarkable. @PodSave America appears to have deleted the clip they themselves posted of @Chrislhayes and @alexwagner telling the truth about why Hasan Piker is a major liability and problem for El-Sayed,” LaRosa posted on X, adding, “Apparently, their candor was refreshing right up until moderates like me started amplifying and celebrating it.”

Hours later, following public criticism online, a new post featuring a longer version of the segment appeared.

Differing Explanations for Repost

LaRosa claimed that Crooked Media had removed the initial clip before 9 a.m. ET on Monday, while the extended version was not published until after 3 p.m. ET. Shannon Watts, who had also voiced concerns about the clip’s removal, offered an explanation, stating that the podcast “wanted to make the clip longer and add more context.”

LaRosa, however, offered a different interpretation in his response to Watts’ post.

“Which means somebody from Piker's camp or El-Sayed's camp probably wined and cried and forced them to take down and recreate the content. Truly hysterical. But how embarrassing for ‘Pod Save America,” LaRosa commented.

Julian Epstein, who served as chief legal counsel for House Democrats during the Clinton impeachment proceedings and worked on Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, also recently indicated he would support the Republican candidate against El-Sayed due to his campaigning with Piker.

“I don’t think he’s ever said anything, to me, that’s particularly interesting. He’s a shock jock, but he’s never demonstrated any understanding of economic or history in my mind,” Epstein stated, continuing, “What he understands is influencer culture and how to say shocking things.”

Past Controversies for Pod Save America

“Pod Save America” has previously drawn the ire of allies of President Biden. The podcast’s co-hosts were among the initial prominent Democrats to suggest that then-President Biden should consider stepping aside from the 2024 presidential election.

The program, comprised of former Obama White House staffers, had also previously advanced the “cheap fakes” narrative, suggesting that reports of Biden's mental acuity decline were being fueled by misleading video clips.