Streamer Hasan Piker led a cheering crowd in singing a mocking song about the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk during a stop of his live podcast tour over the weekend, igniting a fierce backlash online.
Video from the show, which appeared to be shot in San Francisco, shows Piker singing the lyrics, «We are Charlie Kirk, we carry the flame. We'll fight for the Gospel, we'll honor his name,» while his co-hosts laughed on stage. Piker, who co-hosts the weekly comedy and pop culture podcast «Fear&,» later posted a photo from the event with the caption, «carried the flame tn,» a reference to the song's lyrics.
The song, believed to be AI-generated, was released on Sept. 18, 2025, shortly after Kirk was assassinated in Utah. It is styled as a Christian power ballad and has become a popular meme used online to mock Kirk and conservatives. Kirk, who founded Turning Point USA as a teenager, was a prominent figure in Republican politics and a close ally of President Donald Trump, playing a key role in his 2024 re-election campaign.
Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet condemned the performance, writing on X: «Hasan Piker is engaging in pure, unadulterated evil. Whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished. Proverbs 17:5.» Investigative reporter Chuck Ross also criticized Piker, noting that Piker had been scheduled to debate Kirk days after the assassination and had previously spoken about how the shooting affected him. «Now, he's mocking it all for the pleasure of his loser fans,» Ross wrote.
Piker, known for his hard-left views and controversial rhetoric, has become a polarizing figure in American politics. His influence over the Democratic Party has grown as democratic socialists gain prominence in the 2026 election cycle, and he has campaigned alongside several candidates, including Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed. Kirk and Piker had previously debated each other on the topic of socialism.
In response to the criticism, Piker reposted a message that read: «The same conservatives crying over Hasan singing a meme song were openly celebrating the murder of American citizens. These people don't care about anything.» Fox News Digital reached out to Piker for comment but did not receive a response.