Founder and host of "The Humanist Report," a progressive political commentary podcast and YouTube show.
Case
Hasan Piker told Axios the US has caused more terrorism than al-Qaeda "pound for pound." The full episode added more contested claims -- on Iran's nuclear programme, Mao Zedong, China and Zionism -- and drew condemnation from both parties.
Role at the time: Host, The Humanist Report
Statement summary
Mike Figueredo defended Piker, noting that the Axios interviewer rather than Piker introduced the al-Qaeda comparison, and argued the interview was designed to generate outrage that could be used against Abdul El-Sayed.
“If you'll recall, Hasan didn't even bring up al-Qaeda on his own volition. It was the interviewer who chose to invoke al-Qaeda. ... The goal was to farm outrage off of him specifically to tee up attacks against Abdul El-Sayed, a Muslim candidate that the Republican Party wants you to believe is a terrorist sympathizer.”
Relative to the claim at issue -- that America commits more terrorism than al-Qaeda -- Figueredo defends it, saying critics "refuse to grapple with the substance" because the idea that America "statistically speaking, commits more acts of terrorism than Al Qaeda is too much for these people to bear." He also challenges the framing by noting the interviewer introduced the comparison.
Statement dates: September 18, 2026
Statement dates: September 18, 2026
