President Trump confident that deal can be reached with Cuba
Donald Trump has said he believes a deal with Cuba is possible and emphasized his support for Cuban-Americans in Miami and across Florida.
- Twitch streamer Hasan Piker has reportedly been subpoenaed by the US Treasury over his visit to Cuba in March.
- Piker and activist Mehdi Benjamin said they had not actually received a subpoena, despite reports.
- Mr. Piker recently appeared at a campaign event with Congressman Summer Lee, drawing criticism from pro-Israel groups and Jewish politicians.
More than a month after appearing at a campaign event in Michigan with Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pennsylvania), left-wing Twitch streamer Hassan Piker has been subpoenaed by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control over his trip to Cuba in March, according to multiple reports.
Piker, who goes by the name Hasan Abi on the streaming platform Twitch and has 3.1 million followers, is being subpoenaed along with Medea Benjamin, feminist and co-founder of the anti-war nonprofit Code Pink: Women for Peace, Fox News reported on May 23.
In a repost of the outlet’s May 23 article, Piker denounced the move.
“The US government would rather criminalize delivering aid to starving countries than punish Epstein’s class,” he said.
The report comes a little more than a month after the Los Angeles-based streamer appeared alongside Lee and a number of other speakers at a campaign event for U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed at the University of Michigan. Mr. Lee’s appearance with Mr. Piker prompted a backlash from Jewish colleagues and the pro-Israel advocacy group Stand With Us, all of whom accused Mr. Piker of being anti-Semitic.
Mr. Lee will be elected to Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District in 2022. The district covers much of Pittsburgh, including Skrel Hill, which has a historically Jewish community. She won the May 19 Democratic primary, defeating challenger William Parker.
Here’s what you need to know:
Who is Hasan Piker?
Piker, a Turkish-American left-wing Twitch streamer and commentator on political topics, has drawn ire from both sides of the aisle. He has often said on his streams that he opposes Zionism but protects Jewish rights, but both Democrats and Republicans have accused him of being an anti-Semite. He has made a number of inflammatory comments, including saying “America deserved 9/11” and telling a livestream viewer, “It doesn’t matter if a rape happened on October 7th. It doesn’t change the dynamics for me,” Penn State reported.
Piker has faced government scrutiny before. He said he was stopped and questioned by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport in May 2025 after traveling to France, according to NBC News.
Despite reports, Piker and Benjamin said they have not received subpoenas.
Fox News reported on May 23 that Piker and Benjamin both received subpoenas seeking financial, logistical and communications information related to a humanitarian trip to Cuba with the Nuestra America Convoy in March, but Piker said on May 24 that he had not received a subpoena, according to HuffPost.
He also said on a Twitch livestream the same day that he had obtained permission from the Office of Foreign Assets Control before traveling, HuffPost reported.
Benjamin also told HuffPost that as of May 24, he had not received a subpoena.
Lee and Piker appeared together in April ahead of PA primary
On April 7, the University of Michigan hosted a campaign rally for El-Sayed that was attended by about 500 students and watched by an online audience via a live stream on Twitch, according to the Michigan Daily. Speakers included Mr. Piker. Lee; Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.). Amir Makred, University of Michigan Board of Trustees candidate. Ann Arbor mayoral candidate Yusef Rabi. and LSA sophomore Samit Routh, University Central Student Government President.
During the rally, Lee emphasized the importance of the collective strength of voters, according to the Michigan Daily.
“Right now, I’m not here to tell you to believe in us,” Lee said. “I’m asking you to vote for us. But what I’m saying is, I want you to believe. I want you to believe in how powerful we are as a collective.”
Pennsylvania officials, pro-Israel advocacy groups condemn Lee’s collaboration with Piker
State Rep. Dan Frankel (D-Pittsburgh) and State Sen. Judy Schwank (D-Redding), co-chairs of the PA Legislative Jewish Caucus, issued a joint statement condemning Lee and Piker, saying Piker has “repeatedly made anti-Semitic statements.”
“At a time when the Jewish community faces increasing threats and harassment, public officials have an obligation to be clear about the voices they are elevating and the allies they maintain,” they said in an April 6 statement posted on ”
After the event, StandWithUs condemned Lee, who appeared with Piker, in a lengthy statement posted on its website.
“At a time when anti-Semitism is at record levels, it is more important than ever for elected officials to take a firm stand against those who may be promoting or amplifying anti-Semitic or anti-Zionist messages,” said Julie Parris, Stand With Us Mid-Atlantic Regional Director. “Congresswoman Summer Lee’s decision to campaign with Mr. Piker sends a message to voters that she does not represent all of us. In her role as a Congressional leader, she has a responsibility to represent Jewish, Zionist, and Israeli voters just like any other constituent.”
Lee defends appearance, says he remains ‘unambiguous’ in condemning hate
Lee defended his appearance with Piker in a statement to Penn City and State University ahead of the event.
“If this is what some people are focusing on now, with President Donald Trump threatening catastrophic violence against Iran and saying, ‘Entire civilization will perish tonight,’ our priorities are way off,” she said. “We need to invite young people, take them seriously, and recognize that our politics are most powerful when ordinary people are actually involved in shaping our politics.”
He added: “We will continue to appear to speak to young people about the issues that will define their lives and futures, and we will continue to unequivocally condemn Islamophobia, racism, anti-Semitism and all forms of hatred.”
“If reporters have questions about what Hassan Piker has said, they should ask Hassan Piker,” Lee said. “My focus is on reaching young people and getting more people involved in the democratic process, which too often alienates them.”
According to Politico, Lee withdrew his involvement with Muslim groups in 2024 following backlash over anti-Semitic and homophobic comments made by other speakers.
“I wanted to join other members of Congress and elected officials at this event to support our Muslim neighbors across the Commonwealth and country, who desperately want to feel heard and supported by their elected representatives at a time of rising anti-Muslim hatred and violence,” she said. “I do not condone or support the previous comments of other speakers.”
Finch Walker is a Pittsburgh Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Please contact Walker at FWalker@usatodayco.com. Instagram: @finchwalker_. X: @_finchwalker.
