"You are part of a revolution in media": Bernie Sanders appears on Twitch streamer HasanAbi's broadcast

United States Senator Bernie Sanders appeared on Twitch star HasanAbi Piker's broadcast on January 14, 2025. This was their first live interaction, and clips from the stream have gone viral on social media. HasanAbi, a self-proclaimed socialist and Twitch's resident political streamer, has been a long-time supporter of Sanders.

The broadcast came days after HasanAbi's interview with incarcerated firefighters about the LA wildfires went viral. The content creator welcomed Sanders on a Discord call and thanked him:

"Bernie Sanders, thank you so much for everything you have done and also thank you for coming on the broadcast."

In response, Sanders praised HasanAbi for his online contributions and hailed him as part of "a revolution in media." He noted how streamers have cultivated millions of viewers who have chosen to tune "out of legacy media":

"Well, my pleasure to be with you, and thank you for what you are doing. You are part of a revolution in media today, which is talking to millions of people who are tuning out of legacy media, and thanks for what you are doing."

---

"You shoot hoops?": Bernie Sanders and HasanAbi talk about playing basketball

This is Sanders's second major foray into Twitch streams, having previously appeared on a broadcast with Pokimane and Valkyrae before the 2024 presidential election.

During HasanAbi's stream, Sanders discussed various social and political issues, including the LA wildfires, and talked about an outreach program set up by his team to help youth connect with activities and sports, including basketball.

HasanAbi, who enjoys playing basketball, floated the idea of traveling to Vermont to play basketball with Sanders:

"I look forward to coming to Vermont and playing basketball with you Senator."

The politician replied:

"You shoot hoops?"

The streamer said he plays basketball quite a bit and has been training to take him on:

"Yeah, I play basketball quite a bit. I am training. I am training to see you in the courts."

The Senator was open to the idea and invited HasanAbi to come over:

"Alright you got it, come on!"

HasanAbi then thanked Sanders for appearing on his stream and teased a possible in-person interview:

"Thank you so much for coming on Senator Sanders, like I said you are an incredibly impactful person for many people in my community. And I am very fortunate that you wanted to ome one and hopefully if I ever come to Vermont, we can have a much longer conversation as well."

Sanders responded positively to the Twitch star's suggestion, saying:

"Let's do it."

This was not the first time HasanAbi has interacted with a politician. He has previously hosted Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on his channel a couple of times.