Hasan Piker's claim that the United States commits more terrorism than al-Qaeda
Hasan Piker told Axios the United States has caused more terrorism than al-Qaeda "pound for pound as far as the number of deaths." Abdul El-Sayed, whom Piker backed in Michigan's primary, rejected the comparison. Is the comparison defensible?
Case period:
Published by The Dispute Index editorial teamPublished Updated
Overview
Piker's answer came in response to a direct question from Axios about whether America commits more terrorism than the organization behind the September 11 attacks. In the same interview he cited a U.S. missile strike that hit an elementary school in Minab, Iran, saying "if you're killing 140 schoolgirls, that is an act of terror," while adding that this "doesn't mean that all Americans are terrorists." The Associated Press found evidence that at least one U.S. missile struck the school; the Trump administration has not released the findings of a Pentagon investigation and the death toll remains unknown, so the figure of 140 is Piker's and is not established here.
Piker also addressed his 2019 remark that "America deserved 9/11," for which he has apologised and which he has described as blowback from decades of U.S. involvement in the Middle East. He told Axios "this doesn't justify the action, mind you," describing the point as analysis intended to prevent further violence. This dossier records that characterisation as his, not as a finding about his earlier remark.
Axios framed the interview's significance through the Michigan Senate race, where Piker campaigned for Abdul El-Sayed in the Democratic primary and where, according to AdImpact data reported by Axios, Republican-aligned groups have spent nearly $3 million on advertising targeting El-Sayed over the association. CNN reported that before the interview clip published, El-Sayed had told its correspondent Manu Raju that he would not campaign with Piker in the general election, having campaigned with him during the primary; that is CNN's account of what El-Sayed told a reporter rather than a quotation from him. El-Sayed's rejection of the comparison is recorded here; the separate dispute over whether Mike Rogers's 9/11 accusation against El-Sayed is fair is covered in its own dossier.
People in this case
Hasan PikerDirectly involved
Alyssa Farah GriffinCommented
Josh GottheimerCommented
Mike RogersCommented
Timeline
4 timeline entries on this page. Dates: September 17, 2026
September 2026
4 events
UN fact-finding mission reports on the Minab school strike Piker cites
Source release
On the same day as the interview, the United Nations fact-finding mission on Iran reported that it had reasonable grounds to believe the United States carried out the two-tap strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Minab and that this constituted the war crime of launching indiscriminate attacks. The strike is the example Piker gives as the basis for his comparison. A finding of reasonable grounds is not a determination of guilt, the Pentagon has not released its own review, and no official death toll exists.
[01]NPR: UN fact-finding mission on alleged US war crimes in the Iran war
Source excerpt
the mission found reasonable grounds to believe the United States committed the war crime of launching indiscriminate attacks resulting in the loss of life or injury to civilians or damage to civilian objects
Report of the United Nations fact-finding mission on Iran, published 17 September 2026, the same day as Piker's interview. It bears directly on the strike he cites as the basis for his comparison, finding reasonable grounds to believe the United States conducted the two-tap strike on the Minab school and that this constituted a war crime. A finding of reasonable grounds is not a legal determination of guilt. The Pentagon has not released the findings of its own administrative review and no official death toll exists; reported tolls range from about 150 to 175 dead, and breakdowns published by Iranian outlets include boys, teachers and parents as well as girls.
NPR: UN fact-finding mission on alleged US war crimes in the Iran warFinding on the Minab school strikeAxios publishes the interview in which Piker says the U.S. is worse than al-Qaeda
Incident
Axios published a teaser clip and accompanying article from Alex Thompson's interview with Hasan Piker for "The Axios Show," recorded in Los Angeles. Asked whether America commits more terrorism than the organization behind the September 11 attacks, Piker answered "Pound for pound as far as the number of deaths, yes," and said the United States has "caused tremendous terror all around the world." He cited a U.S. missile strike on an elementary school in Minab, Iran, said that killing 140 schoolgirls is an act of terror while adding that this does not make all Americans terrorists, and described his earlier remarks on the September 11 attacks as blowback analysis that "doesn't justify the action." The casualty figure is his.
[02]Axios: "Hasan Piker on 'The Axios Show': America worse than al-Qaeda 'pound for pound'"
Source excerpt
Pound for pound as far as the number of deaths, yes.
Axios write-up of an exclusive interview with Hasan Piker for a new episode of "The Axios Show," datelined Los Angeles and published September 17, 2026. Asked whether America commits more terrorism than the organization behind the September 11 attacks, Piker answered "Pound for pound as far as the number of deaths, yes" and added "We have caused tremendous terror all around the world." The piece's "why it matters" section ties the remarks to Republican attacks in the Michigan Senate race after Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed had Piker campaign for him in the primary. The published article is brief; fuller quotation from the same interview is carried in TheWrap's report.
[03]TheWrap: "Hasan Piker Stands by Calling America the 'Top Dog in Terrorism' in Contentious Interview"
Source excerpt
I do not agree with this statement, nor do I give much weight to the statements made by a social media streamer.
TheWrap report of September 17, 2026 carrying fuller quotation from Piker's Axios interview than the Axios article itself, including his citation of a U.S. missile strike on an elementary school in Minab, Iran, and his statement that the analysis "doesn't justify" the September 11 attacks. It also carries Abdul El-Sayed's full statement to Axios rejecting the comparison, and his separate Fox 2 Detroit debate remarks of September 15 on why he engages with Piker. It notes the Associated Press found evidence at least one U.S. missile struck the school, that the Trump administration has not released the Pentagon investigation's findings, and that the death toll remains unknown; the 140 figure is Piker's.
El-Sayed rejects the comparison in a statement to Axios
Reaction
Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Senate nominee in Michigan for whom Piker campaigned during the primary, told Axios he did not agree with the statement and did not give much weight to statements made by a social media streamer, redirecting to what he called the dangerous policies of Donald Trump and Mike Rogers on the cost of gas, groceries and health care in Michigan.
[03]TheWrap: "Hasan Piker Stands by Calling America the 'Top Dog in Terrorism' in Contentious Interview"
Source excerpt
I do not agree with this statement, nor do I give much weight to the statements made by a social media streamer.
TheWrap report of September 17, 2026 carrying fuller quotation from Piker's Axios interview than the Axios article itself, including his citation of a U.S. missile strike on an elementary school in Minab, Iran, and his statement that the analysis "doesn't justify" the September 11 attacks. It also carries Abdul El-Sayed's full statement to Axios rejecting the comparison, and his separate Fox 2 Detroit debate remarks of September 15 on why he engages with Piker. It notes the Associated Press found evidence at least one U.S. missile struck the school, that the Trump administration has not released the Pentagon investigation's findings, and that the death toll remains unknown; the 140 figure is Piker's.
Piker accuses Axios of clickbaiting a nuanced answer
Claim
Responding on X to the teaser clip, Piker accused Axios of "farming the interview" and turning what he called a nuanced answer about acts of terror into clickbait. He did not withdraw the comparison, restating the substance by citing U.S. arming of al-Qaeda since the September 11 attacks and saying a former al-Qaeda commander became president of Syria. Those historical characterisations are his own.
[04]Hasan Piker says Axios "clickbaited" his answer
Source excerpt
i give a nuanced answer about acts of terror this admin has caused and they clickbait it.
First-party post from Hasan Piker's verified X account, posted September 17, 2026 in reply to the teaser clip Axios published from his interview on "The Axios Show." He accuses Axios of "farming the interview" and turning a nuanced answer into clickbait, and restates the substance by citing U.S. arming of al-Qaeda since 9/11 and the former commander who became president of Syria. Those historical characterisations are his. Fox News's "Outnumbered" quoted the post the same day.
Response record
Responses
Latest recorded positions: 8. Dates: September 17, 2026
Choose one response filter, or select All responses to see the full record.
5 responses on this page
Alyssa Farah Griffin"You could convince me Hasan Piker is a GOP op. He's an absolute soundbite machine for Republican ads!"
Open source (opens in a new tab)The Hill: "Hasan Piker: US commits 'pound for pound' more terrorism than al Qaeda"CondemnedCase context: Hasan Piker's claim that the United States commits more terrorism than al-Qaeda
Why this label?
This dossier's fixed reference point is Piker's claim that the United States commits more terrorism than al-Qaeda. Griffin criticises the claim and its author, treating the remark as self-evidently damaging rather than arguable. That is a critical evaluation of the conduct under scrutiny, and the guidance is explicit that a speaker need not use the verb "condemn" for the label to apply. It matches how her mockery of Kash Patel's hearing testimony is classified in its own dossier (900). The closest competing label is mixed_or_conditional; it loses because she combines no materially different positions and attaches no express condition. Her focus on political consequence rather than on the merits does not soften the evaluation, since the stated target is Piker's remarks themselves.
This label describes the statement’s response within the context above.
Read context and background
Political strategist and "The View" co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin criticised Piker's remarks on social media, saying she could be convinced he was a Republican operative and calling him an absolute soundbite machine for Republican ads. The remark treats the comparison as indefensible enough to serve Republican campaign advertising rather than engaging with whether it is accurate. The suggestion that Piker is a Republican operative is rhetorical and is not an allegation this dossier records as fact.
Role at the time: Political strategist, co-host of ABC's "The View" and former White House communications director, posting on social media
Before the statement
The Hill reported that backlash to Piker's Axios remarks was swift online and came from both Republicans and Democrats, listing Griffin's post among the reactions alongside Rep. Josh Gottheimer's and the official Republicans account's.
After the statement
Griffin's post is quoted by The Hill; the underlying post was not located on her account, so the quotation rests on that report's direct attribution. Two days earlier she had posted separately about Piker and the September 11 attacks, disputing his account of remembering the day, which is a different statement and is not recorded here.
Josh Gottheimer"Comparing America to al-Qaeda wasn't an accident — Piker has built a brand on anti-American hate. This is a man who said America 'deserved' 9/11, who framed a newspaper with the Twin Towers on it for his backdrop, and who has spent years excusing the very terrorists who've targeted our country. That's not edgy commentary."
Open source (opens in a new tab)The Hill: "Hasan Piker: US commits 'pound for pound' more terrorism than al Qaeda"CondemnedCase context: Hasan Piker's claim that the United States commits more terrorism than al-Qaeda
Why this label?
This dossier's fixed reference point is Piker's claim that the United States commits more terrorism than al-Qaeda. Gottheimer rejects it outright and attributes it to a pattern rather than a slip, which is a direct condemnation of the claim and its author. He is the second Democrat recorded here to reject the comparison, after El-Sayed (956), and sits alongside Lara Trump (966) and Rogers (968). The closest competing label is challenges_characterization, on the basis that he disputes the framing of the remark as "edgy commentary"; it loses because that phrase rejects a defence of the claim rather than merely contesting a label, and the passage condemns the underlying comparison throughout.
This label describes the statement’s response within the context above.
Read context and background
Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey condemned Piker's comparison on social media, saying it was not an accident but the product of what he called a brand built on anti-American hate. He cited Piker's 2019 remark that America deserved the September 11 attacks, a backdrop Gottheimer said featured a newspaper showing the Twin Towers, and what he described as years of excusing terrorists who targeted the United States. Gottheimer's characterisations of Piker's record and motives are his own.
Role at the time: U.S. Representative for New Jersey's 5th congressional district, posting on social media
Before the statement
The Hill reported that backlash to Piker's Axios remarks was swift online and came from both Republicans and Democrats, and reproduced the exchange in which Alex Thompson asked whether America is worse than al Qaeda.
After the statement
The same report carried the official Republicans account calling on every Democrat supported by Piker to condemn him, and Alyssa Farah Griffin saying Piker is "an absolute soundbite machine for Republican ads." Piker responded to the circulating clip by accusing Axios of clickbaiting a nuanced answer, which is recorded separately on this dossier.
Mike Rogers"BREAKING: Conman @AbdulElSayed’s running mate Hasan Piker just said that America is worse than Al-Qaeda. Abdul — enough is enough. Condemn Piker once and for all."
Read the original post (opens in a new tab)Mike Rogers post calling on El-Sayed to condemn PikerFull postCondemnedCase context: Hasan Piker's claim that the United States commits more terrorism than al-Qaeda
Why this label?
The case's reference point is Piker's claim that the United States commits more terrorism than al-Qaeda. Rogers treats the claim as self-evidently disqualifying and demands it be condemned, which is a rejection of the claim rather than a dispute about how it has been described. The closest competing label is challenges_characterization, which loses because he does not argue Piker has been misquoted or misread; he takes the comparison at face value and rejects it. His description of Piker as El-Sayed's running mate is campaign framing rather than a factual claim about any formal role.
This label describes the statement’s response within the context above.
Read context and background
Within hours of the interview, Rogers posted that Piker had said America is worse than al-Qaeda, described Piker as El-Sayed's running mate, and demanded that El-Sayed condemn him. El-Sayed had already rejected the comparison in a statement to Axios.
Role at the time: Republican nominee for United States Senate in Michigan, posting from his campaign account
Before the statement
Piker campaigned for El-Sayed in Michigan's Democratic primary, and Republican-aligned groups have spent close to three million dollars on advertising tying the two together. Rogers had attacked the association at the Republican midterm convention a week earlier.
After the statement
El-Sayed had already told Axios he did not agree with the statement and gave little weight to a social media streamer. No further response from El-Sayed to Rogers's demand was found.
Lara Trump "The idea that Hasan Piker is the mouthpiece for the Democrats should concern them extensively. … He was doing damage control. He was trying to distance himself. … To say that America is anything like a terrorist organization is totally outrageous."
Watch the original video (opens in a new tab)Fox News "Outnumbered": "Hasan Piker under fire after comparing US to al Qaeda"11:20 clip. 00:00–00:35: Harris Faulkner's introduction; 01:21–01:40: extended clip of Piker's Axios answer; 01:46–01:54: Piker's post criticising the interview's presentation; 02:12–02:25: El-Sayed's statement read aloud; 03:03–04:35: Lara Trump; 04:48–06:24: Kennedy; 06:37 onward: Joey Jones.CondemnedCase context: Hasan Piker's claim that the United States commits more terrorism than al-Qaeda
Why this label?
This dossier's fixed reference point is Piker's claim that the United States commits more terrorism than al-Qaeda. Lara Trump expressly rejects it, calling the equation "totally outrageous" and drawing a distinction between deliberate targeting of civilians and the conduct of war. That is a direct condemnation of the claim under scrutiny, placing her opposite Piker (955) and alongside El-Sayed (956), who also rejects it. The closest competing label is challenges_characterization, on the basis that much of her segment is about El-Sayed's response and about Democrats generally rather than the claim itself; it loses because she states a clear substantive evaluation of the comparison before turning to the political argument.
This label describes the statement’s response within the context above.
Read context and background
On Fox News's "Outnumbered" the day the interview was published, Lara Trump rejected Hasan Piker's comparison, saying it was totally outrageous to say America is anything like a terrorist organization. She argued that terrorists deliberately target civilians, citing the September 11 hijackings, and that war, while not perfect, is a different thing. She also dismissed Abdul El-Sayed's statement to Axios as damage control rather than a genuine rebuttal, said Piker's views should concern Democrats, and argued that Democrats who do not condemn him should be assumed to share his view. Her characterisations of Piker, of El-Sayed's motives and of the Trump administration's counterterrorism record are her own.
Role at the time: Fox News host of "My View with Lara Trump" and former Republican National Committee co-chair, appearing as a panellist on "Outnumbered"
Before the statement
Host Harris Faulkner introduced the segment by saying Piker, "the man who said America deserved 9/11," was bashing America again less than a week after the 25th anniversary of the attacks, and that El-Sayed, who brought Piker onto his Michigan primary campaign, was now distancing himself. The programme played an extended clip of Piker's Axios answer and read El-Sayed's statement aloud.
After the statement
Lara Trump went on to credit the Trump administration with counterterrorism successes and argued that until Democrats condemn Piker, voters should assume they agree with him. Faulkner then turned to panellist Kennedy, who said Piker "hates America with a blinding passion" and challenged him to make the same criticisms in countries run by the Taliban or the Houthis, and later to Joey Jones.
Fox News "Outnumbered": "Hasan Piker under fire after comparing US to al Qaeda"11:20 clip. 00:00–00:35: Harris Faulkner's introduction; 01:21–01:40: extended clip of Piker's Axios answer; 01:46–01:54: Piker's post criticising the interview's presentation; 02:12–02:25: El-Sayed's statement read aloud; 03:03–04:35: Lara Trump; 04:48–06:24: Kennedy; 06:37 onward: Joey Jones.
Abdul El-Sayed"I do not agree with this statement, nor do I give much weight to the statements made by a social media streamer. I am more concerned with the dangerous policies of Donald Trump and Mike Rogers that are raising the prices of gas, groceries and healthcare for Michiganders."
Open source (opens in a new tab)TheWrap: "Hasan Piker Stands by Calling America the 'Top Dog in Terrorism' in Contentious Interview"CondemnedCase context: Hasan Piker's claim that the United States commits more terrorism than al-Qaeda
Why this label?
The case's fixed reference point is Piker's claim that the United States commits more terrorism than al-Qaeda. El-Sayed expressly rejects it — "I do not agree with this statement" — and further discounts the speaker's standing. That is a direct rejection of the claim under scrutiny. The closest competing label is explicitly_declines, given that he pivots to economic policy in the second sentence; it loses because he answered on the merits first rather than refusing to address the matter, and the skill's guidance is to evaluate the answer given before any closing redirect.
This label describes the statement’s response within the context above.
Read context and background
In a statement to Axios responding to Piker's comparison, Abdul El-Sayed said he did not agree with it and did not give much weight to statements made by a social media streamer, and redirected to what he called the dangerous policies of Donald Trump and Mike Rogers on the cost of gas, groceries and health care in Michigan. Piker campaigned for El-Sayed in Michigan's Democratic Senate primary, and the association has been the subject of sustained Republican advertising.
Role at the time: Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in Michigan, in a statement provided to Axios
Before the statement
Axios sought comment from El-Sayed after Piker, who campaigned for him in Michigan's Democratic Senate primary, made the comparison in an interview for "The Axios Show."
After the statement
Two days earlier, at a Fox 2 Detroit debate on September 15, El-Sayed had defended engaging with Piker on audience grounds: "The reason I talk to Hasan isn't because of Hasan, it's because of the 3 million people who pay attention to what he has to say." The separate dispute over Mike Rogers's 9/11 accusation against El-Sayed is recorded in its own dossier.
Sources
(9)
Interview
Axios: "Hasan Piker on 'The Axios Show': America worse than al-Qaeda 'pound for pound'"
Excerpt
"Pound for pound as far as the number of deaths, yes."
About this source
Axios write-up of an exclusive interview with Hasan Piker for a new episode of "The Axios Show," datelined Los Angeles and published September 17, 2026. Asked whether America commits more terrorism than the organization behind the September 11 attacks, Piker answered "Pound for pound as far as the number of deaths, yes" and added "We have caused tremendous terror all around the world." The piece's "why it matters" section ties the remarks to Republican attacks in the Michigan Senate race after Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed had Piker campaign for him in the primary. The published article is brief; fuller quotation from the same interview is carried in TheWrap's report.
- Author
- Alex Thompson
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
The Hill: "Hasan Piker: US commits 'pound for pound' more terrorism than al Qaeda"
Excerpt
"Comparing America to al-Qaeda wasn't an accident — Piker has built a brand on anti-American hate."
About this source
The Hill's report of September 17, 2026, 1:44 PM ET, on backlash to Piker's Axios remarks from both Republicans and Democrats. It carries the fullest set of verbatim reactions found: Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) on social media; the official Republicans account calling on every Democrat supported by Piker to condemn him; and political strategist and "The View" co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin saying Piker is "an absolute soundbite machine for Republican ads." It also reproduces Piker's own follow-up posts, including a second post beyond the one already recorded on this dossier, about elites terrorising the world while ordinary Americans foot the bill. The report notes the Pentagon has not taken responsibility for the Minab strike.
- Author
- Dominick Mastrangelo
- Published
- Accessed
Analysis
Zeteo: "Hasan Piker Says America Has Killed Lots of People. Donald Trump Agrees"
Excerpt
"Piker's comment, while obviously controversial, is objectively true."
About this source
Signed analysis piece co-bylined by Andrew Perez and Mehdi Hasan, founder of Zeteo, published September 17, 2026. It defends Piker's comparison as accurate on death tolls, citing Brown University's Costs of War estimate of 432,000 civilians killed by direct post-9/11 war violence in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen and Pakistan between 2001 and 2023, alongside Vietnam, Laos and Indonesia figures, and argues Axios's headline was calibrated for outrage. It draws a parallel to Trump's 2017 remark to Bill O'Reilly, "There are a lot of killers. We've got a lot of killers. What, do you think our country's so innocent?" It also reports reactions from CNN commentator Scott Jennings and activist Shannon Watts, characterised in the authors' own terms. Note a factual variance on the Minab strike: the piece says the airstrikes killed 150 people including more than 100 children, whereas Piker says 140 schoolgirls; neither figure is established here, and the UN fact-finding mission's report is recorded separately on this dossier.
- Author
- Andrew Perez and Mehdi Hasan
- Published
- Accessed
Interview
CNN: "'I want Hasan Piker to go away!': Michigan congresswoman voices frustration after left-wing streamer's recent interview"
Relevant passage: 2:02 clip. 00:06–00:41: the Axios exchange played back, including Alex Thompson's question and Piker's answer; 00:43–01:00: CNN reports El-Sayed told Manu Raju before the clip published that he would not campaign with Piker in the general election, and asks whether he needs to do more to distance himself; 01:02–01:58: Rep. Debbie Dingell's answer.
Excerpt
"I'm so sick of talking about Hasan Piker and I want Hasan Piker to go away."
About this source
CNN political programming segment of September 17, 2026, in which Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan is asked whether Abdul El-Sayed needs to do more to distance himself from Hasan Piker after Piker's Axios interview. The segment separately reports that El-Sayed told CNN's Manu Raju, before the interview clip published, that he would not campaign with Piker in the general election, having done so in the primary. Quotations are taken from CNN's broadcast closed captions, which render proper nouns correctly but are delivered in rolling form. The CNN page is not accessible to this browser for legal reasons; the captions were retrieved from the video's own subtitle track.
- Author
- CNN
- Published
- Accessed
Original post
Hasan Piker says Axios "clickbaited" his answer
Excerpt
"i give a nuanced answer about acts of terror this admin has caused and they clickbait it."
About this source
First-party post from Hasan Piker's verified X account, posted September 17, 2026 in reply to the teaser clip Axios published from his interview on "The Axios Show." He accuses Axios of "farming the interview" and turning a nuanced answer into clickbait, and restates the substance by citing U.S. arming of al-Qaeda since 9/11 and the former commander who became president of Syria. Those historical characterisations are his. Fox News's "Outnumbered" quoted the post the same day.
- Author
- Hasan Piker
- Published
- Accessed
Original video
Fox News "Outnumbered": "Hasan Piker under fire after comparing US to al Qaeda"
Relevant passage: 11:20 clip. 00:00–00:35: Harris Faulkner's introduction; 01:21–01:40: extended clip of Piker's Axios answer; 01:46–01:54: Piker's post criticising the interview's presentation; 02:12–02:25: El-Sayed's statement read aloud; 03:03–04:35: Lara Trump; 04:48–06:24: Kennedy; 06:37 onward: Joey Jones.
Excerpt
"To say that America is anything like a terrorist organization is totally outrageous."
About this source
Segment from Fox News's "Outnumbered" broadcast September 17, 2026, hosted by Harris Faulkner with panellists Donna Rotunno, Lara Trump, Kennedy and Joey Jones, reacting to Hasan Piker's Axios interview. The segment plays a longer excerpt of Piker's answer than the Axios article carries, including his claim that the terror also has "dramatic consequences on the home front," and reports that Piker afterwards accused Axios of clickbaiting a nuanced answer. Faulkner's introduction states that Abdul El-Sayed, who brought Piker onto his Michigan primary campaign, is now distancing himself. Quotations were checked against both the broadcast closed captions and an independent transcription of the audio; the two disagree in places and only sentences on which they agree are quoted. The closed captions garble several proper nouns ("Rotondo" for Rotunno, "hooties" for Houthis, "bag Daddy" for Baghdadi).
- Author
- Fox News
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
TheWrap: "Hasan Piker Stands by Calling America the 'Top Dog in Terrorism' in Contentious Interview"
Excerpt
"I do not agree with this statement, nor do I give much weight to the statements made by a social media streamer."
About this source
TheWrap report of September 17, 2026 carrying fuller quotation from Piker's Axios interview than the Axios article itself, including his citation of a U.S. missile strike on an elementary school in Minab, Iran, and his statement that the analysis "doesn't justify" the September 11 attacks. It also carries Abdul El-Sayed's full statement to Axios rejecting the comparison, and his separate Fox 2 Detroit debate remarks of September 15 on why he engages with Piker. It notes the Associated Press found evidence at least one U.S. missile struck the school, that the Trump administration has not released the Pentagon investigation's findings, and that the death toll remains unknown; the 140 figure is Piker's.
- Author
- A.J. Katz
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
NPR: UN fact-finding mission on alleged US war crimes in the Iran war
Relevant passage: Finding on the Minab school strike
Excerpt
"the mission found reasonable grounds to believe the United States committed the war crime of launching indiscriminate attacks resulting in the loss of life or injury to civilians or damage to civilian objects"
About this source
Report of the United Nations fact-finding mission on Iran, published 17 September 2026, the same day as Piker's interview. It bears directly on the strike he cites as the basis for his comparison, finding reasonable grounds to believe the United States conducted the two-tap strike on the Minab school and that this constituted a war crime. A finding of reasonable grounds is not a legal determination of guilt. The Pentagon has not released the findings of its own administrative review and no official death toll exists; reported tolls range from about 150 to 175 dead, and breakdowns published by Iranian outlets include boys, teachers and parents as well as girls.
- Published
- Accessed
Original post
Mike Rogers post calling on El-Sayed to condemn Piker
Excerpt
"BREAKING: Conman @AbdulElSayed's running mate Hasan Piker just said that America is worse than Al-Qaeda."
About this source
Mike Rogers's own post from his Senate campaign account on 17 September 2026, responding to Piker's Axios interview the same day. Secondary reporting consistently quotes only the first sentence and renders the live handle as "[Abdul El-Sayed's]"; the post continues "Abdul — enough is enough. Condemn Piker once and for all," which is the actual demand. X blocks automated retrieval of post pages, so authorship, date and text were confirmed through X's own embed endpoint; an editor should open the post before publication. This is distinct from Rogers's 10 September remarks at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas, which predate the interview and belong to the separate dossier on his September 11 accusation.
- Author
- Mike Rogers
- Published
- Accessed
Corrections
(0)
Corrections address errors in our reporting or labels. When a speaker changes their position, we add a separate statement and link it to the earlier one.
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