ABC presenter and Planet America co-host John Barron has defended his decision to interview controversial US political commentator Hasan Piker, pushing back against criticism that the public broadcaster was giving a platform to a divisive figure.
The backlash came after Barron announced on X that Planet America would return on Monday night with Piker as guest.
‘Pssst… Planet America is back on Monday night!’ Barron wrote.
‘Our guest will be the influential and controversial commentator Hasan Piker on the rise of Democratic socialists and populist left, what it’s like at the eye of a political storm.’
Barron responded to criticism of the booking, arguing that Piker had become a significant figure in American politics during the 2026 election campaign.
‘Like it or not, he’s a central figure in the 2026 US election, and it’s Republicans who are replaying his most ‘offensive’ comments in attack ads against Democrats,’ Barron posted.
‘He’s become a central figure in this year’s election, it makes sense to hear from him. If you watch I’ll be interested to know if it confirms your concerns or overcomes them. Either way, we choose guests of all stripes based on interest and relevance.’
Piker has emerged as an influential voice on the US left, endorsing and supporting candidates in highly competitive Democratic primary races.
ABC personality John Barron (pictured) defended a decision to interview Hasan Piker
Barron took to X to double down on his show booking the controversial activist
His involvement has split the party, with some Democratic candidates urging the party to distance itself from the streamer.
One person online accused the ABC of ‘platforming left wing hate speech’.
Barron rejected the charge, responding: ‘With respect that is a silly claim. We do not broadcast hate speech and we are conducting an interview with someone of significant news value. That’s called ”journalism” not ”platforming”.’
Responding to another critic who argued it was unwise to ‘boost people who promote hatred’, Barron again defended the decision.
‘Agree 100% Tim. Interviewing a significant political figure isn’t ‘boosting’ them, it’s journalism,’ he wrote.
Piker has long been a lightning rod in US political debate, with critics pointing to a series of inflammatory remarks that have triggered controversy.
The Twitch streamer faced widespread backlash in 2019 after saying that America ‘deserved 9/11’, a comment he later described as poorly phrased and inappropriate.
He also called for the murder of landlords, saying: ‘Kill them. Murder them. Let the streets soak in their red capitalist blood,’ during a livestream.
Hasan Piker (pictured) was interviewed by ABC’s 7:30 last year by host Sarah Ferguson
More recently, Piker has drawn criticism for his commentary on the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Opponents have accused him of using inflammatory rhetoric about Israel and making comments seen as minimising or excusing actions by Hamas, allegations he has denied.
Another source of controversy was his interview with a young Yemeni social media figure who became known online as the ‘Houthi pirate’.
Critics accused Piker of humanising or platforming a member of the Iran-backed Houthi movement, while supporters argued the interview was journalistic and aimed at understanding a group influencing events in the Red Sea.
Piker is no stranger to scrutiny from the ABC itself. In November last year, he was interviewed by 7.30 host Sarah Ferguson following the fatal shooting of US conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The appearance prompted 64 complaints to the ABC Ombudsman, many objecting to the decision to feature Piker or arguing he was not sufficiently challenged.
However, the Ombudsman found the interview did not breach ABC editorial standards, noting Ferguson repeatedly pressed Piker on his own inflammatory rhetoric, including past comments in which he joked about landlords being killed.
The ruling found Ferguson had appropriately challenged the streamer and that the program had met the broadcaster’s editorial obligations.
