Antisemitic streamer Hasan Piker sued CNN contributor Scott Jennings, a vocal supporter of the Jewish state, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Tuesday, seeking $72.5 million.
The far-left antisemite said that Jennings falsely accused him of supporting lynching black people, which caused him “public embarrassment, ridicule, emotional distress and mental anguish.”
Piker claimed that on an Aug. 11 episode of “The Scott Jennings Show,” Jennings accused him of “calling for black voters to be lynched.”
He alleges that Jennings ignored context from an Oct. 29, 2024, stream, in which Piker said “back to a better time when lynchings were happening” and “I want to go back to lynching.” Piker said that he was mocking black conservative commentator, Xaviaer DuRousseau, to whom he was ascribing the remarks.
DuRousseau, who has not said what Piker attributed to him, hasn’t sued Piker for defamation. (JNS sought comment from DuRousseau and Piker’s attorneys.)
In the 38-page complaint, Piker said Jennings, a “Republican political operative,” was rumored as a potential new press secretary for the Trump administration.
He suggested that Jennings attacked Piker to secure the position and “enhance his standing among the president’s supporters and other influential Republican figures, particularly during a midterm election campaign.”
Jennings’ episode aired on Aug. 11. The announcement that Karoline Leavitt would be leaving the press secretary role came on Aug. 12. Piker claimed in the complaint that Jennings was being “publicly discussed” for the role around the time of the broadcast.
JNS could not find any public discussion prior to Aug. 12.
“Mr. Jennings had reasons to make that accusation notwithstanding its falsity. His radio program and podcast trade in political controversy,” Piker alleged. “The more provocative his commentary, the greater the opportunity to attract and gain listeners, social media engagement, advertising revenue and professional attention.”
Piker also claimed that the accusations harmed his reputation among people who had never watched him, who “will not engage with or follow Mr. Piker’s work in the future, which has negatively impacted Mr. Piker’s present and future earning potential.”
The complaint states that Jennings “continues to falsely portray Mr. Piker as a violent racist.”
“Few accusations are more serious than falsely portraying someone as an advocate of racially motivated murder,” Piker’s court filing states.
The Anti-Defamation League, which maintains a profile on Piker, states that he supports terror and violence, said he would “vote for Hamas over Israel,” has called Orthodox Jews “inbred” and denied that there were sexual assaults on Oct. 7, 2023.
The complaint claims that Piker has 8.9 million followers and subscribers across multiple social media channels and platforms and lists his “industry recognition,” including a “Streamy Award.”
According to the complaint, Jennings did not retract the accusations after receiving a demand from Piker’s attorneys on Aug. 31. Piker is seeking a jury trial.
