Jennings, a conservative commentator, reposted a heavily edited video in August and added false commentary about the Twitch streamer.
Jordan Liles
Published Oct. 28, 2026
Image courtesy of Sam Barnes and Paul Morigi;
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- Twitch streamer and left-leaning political commentator Hasan Piker has filed a defamation lawsuit against conservative commentator Scott Jennings, seeking $72.5 million.
- The lawsuit pertains to a heavily edited video that Jennings reposted in August, to which he added his own commentary falsely presenting the clip as Piker saying he had a “plan of returning our country to lynchings,” as well as that Piker “is out there calling for Black people to be lynched.” The text of Jennings’ post also falsely claimed, not as a direct quote, that Piker indicated “the USA should resume lynchings against black people.”
- As Snopes previously reported, a full review of Piker’s unedited remarks about lynchings confirmed he was sarcastically mimicking other people’s opinions. The video’s fragmented excerpts from three different streams presented Piker’s words without full context, and in some cases out of order. As such, it was misleading.
- Piker’s complaint, filed Oct. 27 in a U.S. district court in Washington, D.C., cites Snopes’ reporting. The complaint accurately says Jennings had not responded to our email, in which we asked whether he researched the original clips from Piker’s past streams and if he wished to provide further comment.
- We once again emailed Jennings and Piker for comment. A statement from one of Piker’s attorneys appears later in this article.
On Oct. 27, Bloomberg Law reported that Twitch streamer and left-leaning political commentator Hasan Piker — whocampaignedfor Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Party’s U.S. Senate candidate in Michigan — had sued conservative commentator Scott Jennings, seeking $72.5 million for alleged defamation.
The lawsuit concerns a heavily edited 41-second video that Jennings shared in his own commentary video (archived) on Aug. 11. The edited clip shows Piker appearing to make several offensive statements targeting Black people, such as, “I don’t give a f*** what Black people care about,” and mentions going “back to a better time when lynchings were happening.” Others (archived) shared the video, as well.
In Jennings’ commentary, he falsely claimed the video shows Piker saying he had a “plan of returning our country to lynchings,” as well as that Piker “is out there calling for Black people to be lynched.” The text of Jennings’ post also falsely claimed, though not as a direct quote, that Piker said “the USA should resume lynchings against black people.”
The edited clip consists of genuine sentence fragments stitched together from three of Piker’s streams out of context and out of order, twisting their original import. In one of the original streams, Piker’s remarks on lynchings were sarcastic reactions to a user’s chat comment and opinions expressed by someone else in a separate video.
A review of Piker’s full, unedited remarks found he was speaking of a desire to prioritize winning elections over concentrating on matters that he believed resulted in past electoral losses.
Piker’s complaint, filed Oct. 27 in a U.S. district court in Washington, D.C., alleges two counts of defamation and one count of false light, claiming Jennings “knew the portrayal was false or acted with reckless disregard for its falsity,” as well as that, as a result, “Piker has suffered injury to his reputation, public humiliation, emotional distress, mental anguish, and damage to his professional interests.”
Piker is seeking $27.5 million in compensatory damages, $45 million in punitive damages, attorneys’ fees and other relief.
The complaint cites Snopes’ reporting from August, specifically on pages 5, 29 and 30, including accurately stating that Jennings had not responded to our email in which we asked whether he researched the original clips from Piker’s past streams and if he wished to provide further comment.
Piker spoke about the lawsuit during his stream on Oct. 27, saying Jennings “certainly messed up” and that the case was about “truth in the media.” He added of Republican commentators, “I don’t think you should be able to get away with lying like this, and if I don’t put a stop to it they’re going to continue maliciously defaming others as they have done so this entire time.”
Daniel Watkins, one of several attorneys representing Piker, emailed Snopes the following statement:
Scott Jennings accused Hasan Piker of calling for Black Americans to be lynched. That is an extraordinary accusation. And it was a lie. Jennings took a manipulated video, put words in Hasan’s mouth that he never spoke, and then held those words up as proof of something Hasan never said or believed. There is something especially disgraceful about exploiting this country’s history of racial terror to destroy another man’s reputation. Scott Jennings has every right to disagree with Hasan Piker. He has no right to invent what Hasan said. We brought this case because the truth matters, reputation matters, and there comes a point when lying must have consequences.
Snopes once again emailed Jennings and Piker for comment about the lawsuit and will update this article if we receive further information.
Transcript of the edited video
Days prior to Jennings’ post, the National Republican Senatorial Committee posted (archived) the same video compilation.
The transcript, featuring heavily edited excerpts from three different streams, reads as follows:
I don’t give a f*** what Black people care about. [cut] Aw, “Black people care about this. Black people care about that.” Like, shut the f*** up. That’s not how politics works.
“Oh, well, Hasan, how dare you. Like it or not, Black people care about this issue.” It’s like, it’s such a f***ing stupid stance.
Any other Black folk want to engage in radical activist language in this f***ing chat? Suck my f***ing c***.
Yes, dude. It’s because I’m racist. That’s why. It’s because I’m racist, dude. [cut] “Go back to a better time when lynchings were happening. This is what I like as a Black man.” [cut] “Why are you always doing too much with Black people? Leave them alone. I wanna go back to lynching. Like, I get it but [cut] relax. Man, shut the f*** up, ok? God damn.” [cut] You got me. [cut] Ok, you got me. Because I’m a [cut] racist person.
In August, NRSC spokesperson Bernadette Breslin did not directly answer our question of whether the organization researched the clips, but she did label Piker as “a communist fanboy and terrorist sympathizer who glorifies racism and violence.” She also cited the Anti-Defamation League’s page warning of Piker’s past rhetoric and shared other examples of alleged inflammatory remarks.
In Snopes’ original report, we presented our investigation of all three clips with transcripts as follows:
July 2024
The first clips in the 41-second video, with Piker saying, “I don’t give a f*** what Black people care about,” came from his July 30, 2024, stream.
The pertinent moment, beginning at the 4:10:48 mark, shows him watching a campaign speech featuring then-Vice President Kamala Harris, who was running for president at the time. He reads out loud a chat user’s comment that says, “Like it or not, Black people care about the border.” He then makes an opinionated point about avoiding what he believed to be failed strategies to winning elections (bolding reflects remarks from edited video):
Man, shut the f*** up. “Black people care about the border.” I don’t give a f*** what Black people care about or what you think Black people care about, OK? I’m talking across the board, the Democratic Party literally is going to f***ing lose, and, even if they don’t lose, move the country to a significantly more right-wing position, OK? Aw, “Black people care about this. Black people care about that.” Like, shut the f*** up. That’s not how politics works, OK?
I hate that. I hate this, like, shield, OK? I hate this f***ing idiotic shield, OK? “Oh, well, Hasan, how dare you. Like it or not, Black people care about this issue.” It’s like, it’s such a f***ing stupid stance, OK? It’s such an idiotic stance. Nobody operates like this, OK? Black people don’t operate like this, either. Shut the f*** up. Stop using this as a f***ing shield.
Moments later, Piker continues making remarks about the same subject. He previously addressed the same comments from the 2024 video in an early 2026 stream.
June 2025
The second clip in the 41-second video was from Piker’s June 25, 2025, stream.
Beginning at the 3:16:28 mark, Piker reads out loud a user’s chat message saying, “With all due respect, you don’t know Black people.” Piker responds to that user, “With all due respect, I know polling.”
At the 3:20:41 mark, Piker reads aloud a chat message that says, “Can you shut the f*** up when it comes to Black folk because you really don’t want to talk about us unless it comes from voting. When is the last time you spoke about Sudan?” Piker then forcefully responds, appearing to tell the person he believed their stance “doesn’t work” in elections and would continue leading to their political “demise” (bolding reflects remarks from edited video):
I’m gonna f***ing ether you. Any other Black folk want to engage in radical activist language in this f***ing chat? Suck my f***ing c***, OK? You stupid f***ing rad lib. Get the f*** outta here. Get the f*** out of my chat. F***ing stupid, moronic, f***ing rad lib nonsense. Suck my f***ing d***. F*** you. You think you have a pass in here to f***ing speak like this? Get the f*** out of here. Dumb f***. You think I’m gonna f***ing baby you?
Go ahead. Go post the f***ing clip about how much of a f***ing white supremacist I am. Suck my d***. Annoying dumb f***. God damn, dude, this kind of f***ing, this kind of attitude is so insanely repulsive. Like, what the f*** do you think you’re doing? We’re talking about f***ing creating a larger, broad, people-backed movement and f***ing creating solidarity, and you immediately got Root.com article regurgitaters in here instantly being like, “Uh, sweetie, you don’t understand Black people.” Shut the f*** up. God damn. That attitude left a long f***ing time ago. It doesn’t work, OK? Keep advocating for your own f***ing demise, then. F***ing standpoint theory-a** motherf***ers. Oh my God.
October 2024
Piker’s Oct. 29, 2024, episode features the remaining remarks, including the mentions of lynchings.
At the 6:51:51 mark, Piker presses play on a Jubilee debate video showing Black conservative commentator Xastrict attorneys] who are putting forth policies.” Piker pauses the video and laughs, then mocks DuRousseau, saying the following (bolding reflects remarks from edited video):
He said, “We need more Klansmen as DAs, OK? Can we go back to a better time when lynchings were happening? This is what I like as a Black man. Also, there’s no real racism in America.” My man said “woke DAs,” dude. What are you saying?
Moments later, at the 6:53:35 mark, Piker reads aloud a chat message that says, “why you always doing too much with black people leave them alone. ‘I wanna go back to lynching’ like I get it but f**n relax.” The transcript proceeds as follows, beginning with Piker’s reading of the chat user’s message and followed by his sarcastic remarks about being racist:
“Why you always doing too much with Black people? Leave them alone. ‘I wanna go back to lynching’ like I get it but f***ing relax.” Man, shut the f*** up, ok? God damn.Yes, dude. It’s because I’m racist. That’s why. It’s because I’m f***ing racist, dude.You got me.OK, got me because I’m a f***ing racist person.
Like, there’s a line, OK, when talking about or to Black conservatives. I do not cross that line, OK? I might come near that line but I do not cross that line. So shut the f*** up. I understand the boundaries, OK?
We emailed DuRousseau in August to request comment and did not receive a response.
For further reading, we previously examined a claim that a bipartisan group of legislators introduced a resolution to Congress condemning Piker for alleged antisemitism.
Sources
“2/2 HasanAbi July 21, 2025 – Nelk Boys Netanyahu Interview, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed Visits, JUBILEE.” YouTube, HasanAbi VODs, 22 July 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3gADW5rV4Y.
“Abdul El-Sayed Reacts to Trump’s Attacks after Primary Win: Full Interview.” YouTube, NBC News, 9 Aug. 2026, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wacRksAPl4s.
“Abdul El-Sayed Refuses to Disavow Me.” YouTube, 2 Apr. 2026, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcdJy0Z9QlE.
“Abdul El-Sayed Refuses to Disavow Me.” YouTube, HasanAbi, 2 Apr. 2026, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcdJy0Z9QlE.
“Complaint With Jury Demand.” Bloomberg Law, 27 Oct. 2026, https://www.bloomberglaw.com/public/desktop/document/PIKERvJENNINGSDocketNo126cv03770DDCOct272026CourtDocket?doc_id=XOMVAQTHD18389BRDJLDR33QK5.
“DID FOX NEWS CATCH ME SLIPPING?!” YouTube, HasanAbi, 20 Nov. 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkU2MZW7aIk.
“Fox News ‘Antisemitism Exposed’ Newsletter: Twitch Star Rants against Israel, Calls for Another 9/11.” Fox News, Fox News, 22 Nov. 2024, https://www.foxnews.com/us/fox-news-antisemitism-exposed-newsletter-twitch-star-rants-against-israel-calls-another-9-11.
“Fox News Tried to Cancel This.” YouTube, HasanAbi, 8 Apr. 2026, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiXpuAjYA-s.
“Hasan Piker Addresses Online Comments.” YouTube, The Young Turks, 22 Aug. 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKQGvVsRpaE.
“HasanAbi Defends His Viral ‘America Deserved 9/11’ Video.” YouTube, The Iced Coffee Hour Clips, 23 May 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxH4MnICv8I.
“HasanAbi July 30, 2024 – Vance Keeps Failing, Trump on Laura Ingraham, Venezuela Election, Israel.” YouTube, HasanAbi VODs, 30 July 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a59gZxnLdzg.
“HasanAbi June 25, 2025 – Sound Board, Sudan.” YouTube, HasanAbi VODs, 25 June 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwRXRf_teV4.
“HasanAbi October 29, 2024 – 1 Week to Election, MSG Rally, Trump Puerto Rico Fallout, Greg Casar.” YouTube, HasanAbi VODs, 31 Oct. 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pdb0eXlrhhk.
“HasanAbi VODs.” YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/@HasanAbiVODs3.
“Meet the Press – August 8, 2026.” NBC News, 9 Aug. 2026, https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/transcripts/meet-press-august-8-2026-rcna591580.
“On-Demand Content on Twitch.” Twitch Help Portal, https://help.twitch.tv/s/article/video-on-demand.
Rose, Steve. “‘I Love When My Enemies Hate Me’: How Hasan Piker Became One of the Biggest Voices on the US Left.” The Guardian, 11 Dec. 2025, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/11/i-love-when-my-enemies-hate-me-how-hasan-piker-became-one-of-the-biggest-voices-on-the-us-left.
@socialistadri. “Hasan Piker Officially Announced That He Is Suing Scott Jennings for 72 Million Dollars. …” X, 27 Oct. 2026, https://x.com/socialistadri/status/2115224915414520119.
Wang, Amy B. “Hasan Piker Accuses Fellow Commentator Scott Jennings of Defamation in $72.5M Suit.” The Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2026, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/10/28/hasan-piker-files-725m-defamation-lawsuit-against-scott-jennings/.
Wilson, Quinn. “Hasan Piker Sues Scott Jennings in $72 Million Defamation Suit.” Bloomberg Law, 27 Oct. 2026, https://news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/hasan-piker-sues-scott-jennings-in-72-million-defamation-suit.
Jordan Liles is a Senior Reporter who has been with Snopes since 2016.
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Article Tags
LynchingPoliticsElectionsLawsuits2026 U.S. Elections
