“That is virtually everyone” - Internet reacts to HasanAbi message to “haters” after Twitch ban over Rick Scott threat

Hasan Piker (HasanAbi) poses with an award at the 2022 YouTube Streamy Awards at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, California, on December 4, 2022. (Image via Getty/Matt Winkelmeyer for Dick Clark Productions)
Hasan Piker (HasanAbi) poses with an award at the 2022 YouTube Streamy Awards at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, California, on December 4, 2022. (Image via Getty/Matt Winkelmeyer for Dick Clark Productions)

Twitch streamer HasanAbi is responding to all his "haters" in a video message, days after he was suspended from the platform for his thinly veiled threats against U.S. Senator Rick Scott of Florida.

Recently, HasanAbi, whose real name is Hasan Piker, was live streaming when he called out Scott's past and tied it to Medicare fraud.

“If you cared about Medicare fraud or Medicaid fraud, you would kill Rick Scott," he said.

The clip immediately went viral, prompting Twitch to take action and suspend his account for breaking the platform's Community Guidelines or Terms of Service. However, he wasted no time in responding to the backlash with a sarcastic apology, followed by a "a brief message for all my haters" in the form of a 9-second video.

Users have since begun reacting to the clip with dissent, with many dissing him and poking fun at the situation. Here's what one user said, for instance:

The sentiments were seemingly echoed all through the comments section:

"Disagreeing with you is not hate!" one user pointed out.
"The problem with Hasan is that he is a millionaire champagne socialist. He wants the money for himself and Socialism for everyone else but he has never lived in a Socialist country. I have for my whole life and it's terrible. Socialism is evil in it's purest form," someone else chimed in.
"the same "free speech" guys hating on this are fine when one of their hero's does the same thing," a fourth user pointed out.

Scores online joined the ongoing discourse:

"Yeah i think passed actions definitely deserve a ban but this seems like nothing unless im missing something?" one user opined.
"Issue is double downing on the statement and people trying to white knight for him saying it’s a joke. Accountability is not for the select but for the people who break the rules. Simple," someone else chimed in.
"Twitch banned you for calling for someone to be killed multiple times," an X user pointed out.

Several users were visibly displeased with HasanAbi's sentiments, noting that his statements may have been a bit extreme.


HasanAbi takes to X to pen a fake apology: Read more

In the wake of his account getting suspended, the streamer took to X to pen an insincere apology and double down on his sentiments:

"im sorry! ill choose my words carefully next time & say “if mike johnson cares abt medicare fraud (since he wants to cut 800m from medicaid/medicare) he’d call for MAX PUNISHMENT for current fl gop senator/former gov rick scott- who has done the most medicare fraud in us history!" he tweeted.

He also coupled his statement with screenshots of Scott's past involvement with Columbia/HCA, a company that conceded to defrauding Medicare and was consequently penalized with a fine of $1 billion.

In a follow-up tweet, HasanAbi sarcastically lauded the "right-wing free speech lovers":

"big shout out to the right wing free speech lovers who took time out of their day screaming about dei & immigrants, to cry abt this!" he noted.

The controversy involving HasanAbi has stirred up conversations on social media about free speech on Twitch, with some noting that he was simply exercising his First Amendment rights.

Edited by Ritika Pal
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