Twitch’s top political streamer HasanAbi found himself in a predicament at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) this week. Fresh off a headline-grabbing appearance on Fox News, HasanAbi was suddenly ejected from his streaming setup at the convention. The reasons for him having to leave his streaming studio are still unclear.
As he prepared to dive into his DNC coverage, he was abruptly informed that he needed to vacate his streaming spot to make space. It’s likely that the Twitch streamer had to make space for Senator Elizabeth Warren who needed the room for interviews.
Since Hasan himself was not told any reasons, different theories emerged why the DNC made him leave. Some claimed it was a simple case of overbooking, while others suspected political motivations.
HasanAbi’s outspoken progressive views and his recent comparison of the DNC to Israel on Twitter added fuel to the conspiracy fire.
The timing couldn’t have been worse for the streamer: Hasan was mid-interview with The New York Times when he was booted, messing up his planned conversations with high-profile figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Ilhan Omar. HasanAbi quickly pivoted to streaming from his hotel room where he suspected that one of his Tweets did not sit well with the DNC team.
The incident raised questions about media access and transparency at political events. It shows the DNC lacks respect for platforms like Twitch and does not see streamers as real journalists.
Was this a simple logistical hiccup or a calculated move to silence a critical voice? For now, HasanAbi continues to broadcast, albeit from a less glamorous location. This DNC debacle might just be the boost HasanAbi needed to take his political commentary into a new direction.