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Gone quiet · last update Oct 1, 2026 / Hasan Piker

The fights over Hasan Piker's campus speeches at Washington, Cornell and Texas

Overview · reviewed October 21, 2026

Hasan Piker's invitations to speak at universities in 2026 were contested each time. The University of Washington canceled his lecture,[1] student groups at Cornell condemned his invitation,[2] and his event at the University of Texas at Austin drew criticism from officials of both parties.[3]

Read the timeline

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Coverage over time

Share of tracked outlets · weekly (UTC)

Week of 2026-08-03 (UTC): 1%, 4 of 537 tracked outlets (0 left, 0 center, 4 right)Week of 2026-08-10 (UTC): 1%, 6 of 545 tracked outlets (1 left, 1 center, 4 right)Week of 2026-08-17 (UTC): under 1%, 1 of 464 tracked outlets (0 left, 1 center, 0 right)Week of 2026-08-24 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-31 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-07 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-14 (UTC): 1%, 3 of 480 tracked outlets (0 left, 0 center, 3 right)Week of 2026-09-21 (UTC): 1%, 5 of 479 tracked outlets (0 left, 0 center, 5 right)Week of 2026-09-28 (UTC): 1%, 4 of 476 tracked outlets (0 left, 0 center, 4 right)Week of 2026-10-05 (UTC): 1%, 3 of 479 tracked outlets (1 left, 0 center, 2 right)Week of 2026-10-12 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-19 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-26 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-11-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-11-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outlets, so far

LeftCenterRightLighter bar: this week so far

Each bar is the share of the outlets on our Left / Center / Right rating scale that we tracked publishing that week which carried reporting on this story, split by the outlets' ratings. We track more outlets now than in the archive, so a share keeps earlier and later weeks comparable. An outlet counts once a week however much it published, and outlets in one ownership or syndication group count as one on each side they appear on. A rating describes the outlet, not the report. A gap means no such reports were collected that week, not that nothing was reported anywhere. Weeks run Monday to Sunday in UTC, so a report published on a Sunday evening in US Eastern time counts in the next week.

Weekly counts, outlets and reports (7 weeks with coverage)
Outlets on the rating scale that carried this story each week, of the outlets tracked that week, newest first
Week of (UTC)LeftCenterRightOf trackedShareReceipts
Oct 5, 20261023 of 4791%
Sep 28, 20260044 of 4761%
Sep 21, 20260055 of 4791%
Sep 14, 20260033 of 4801%
Aug 17, 20260101 of 464under 1%
Aug 10, 20261146 of 5451%
Aug 3, 20260044 of 5371%

Latest coverage

The newest reporting in this story's record.

  1. Sep 30, 2026 · first reported · Headline from The Texas Observer

    Hasan Piker’s UT Appearance Put Campus Protection Act to the Test

Background

The University of Washington had scheduled Piker for January as part of its 2026-27 Speaker Series.[1] It canceled the appearance in August, saying the process for organizing the event had not met the level of rigor required for university-hosted events in the series. The free-speech group FIRE questioned whether public backlash had driven the decision.[1] Piker said the university canceled because of his views on Israel.[4] At least two state lawmakers had contacted the university with concerns after he was announced as a speaker, and Rep. Pramila Jayapal said she was working with the university after the cancellation.[4]

Read the full background (2 more paragraphs)

At Cornell, the Students Not Bombs Campaign, a student-led coalition demanding that the university cut its ties to Israel, announced that Piker would speak at Sage Chapel on September 24.[2] Two Jewish and pro-Israel student groups condemned the invitation, and the campus Hillel group called his rhetoric "repulsive."[2] At the event, Piker joined in the chant "From the river to the sea."[5]

In Texas, Ted Cruz, Greg Abbott and Henry Cuellar criticized the planned appearance over Piker's past remarks on 9/11 and Hamas, and the university sought to distance itself from the event, which the University Democrats hosted.[3] Piker spoke on campus as planned, and a former Hamas hostage, Maya Regev, spoke at the university the same night.[6] Accounts of the turnout differed: Fox News described a packed venue of cheering students, while The Texas Observer reported an auditorium three-quarters full, with more law enforcement than protesters.[6]

Supporting stories (6)
  1. Major university axes Hasan Piker’s lecture and vows to tighten standards
  2. Backlash erupts over Hasan Piker’s upcoming speaking engagement at Cornell
  3. Hasan Piker’s University of Texas visit causes chaos as school tries to distance itself from event
  4. WA lawmakers urged UW to cancel ‘An Evening with Hasan Piker’
  5. From ‘America Deserved 9/11’ to Sage Chapel: Cornell Gives Hasan Piker a Prestigious Stage Amid Antisemitism Controversy
  6. Only 300 Attend Hasan Piker Event at UT-Austin After Thousands Sign Up

The full record

Each date is when an update was first reported.

All 6 recorded updates

September 2026

  1. Only 300 Attend Hasan Piker Event at UT-Austin After Thousands Sign UpHeadline from Legal Insurrection · 4 outlets
  2. From ‘America Deserved 9/11’ to Sage Chapel: Cornell Gives Hasan Piker a Prestigious Stage Amid Antisemitism ControversyHeadline from The Jewish Voice · 4 outlets
  3. Backlash erupts over Hasan Piker’s upcoming speaking engagement at CornellHeadline from Fox News · 4 outlets
  4. Hasan Piker’s University of Texas visit causes chaos as school tries to distance itself from eventHeadline from Washington Examiner · 2 outlets

August 2026

  1. WA lawmakers urged UW to cancel ‘An Evening with Hasan Piker’Headline from The Columbian · 6 outlets
  2. Major university axes Hasan Piker’s lecture and vows to tighten standardsHeadline from New York Post · 4 outlets

Coverage & sources

Read the reports, see how much was collected over time, or compare outlets by political leaning.

Coverage & sources →