Hasan Piker sues Scott Jennings over lynching clip; report says settlement may be near
Photo: ReasonStreamer Hasan Piker has filed a defamation lawsuit against podcaster and CNN contributor Scott Jennings over a video clip Jennings aired on his podcast and syndicated radio show, and a report says the dispute may be heading toward a settlement. The clip, produced by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, wove together fragments of Piker's remarks and other out-of-context clips so that he appeared to be advocating the lynching of Black people. The underlying remarks date to a Twitch broadcast about two years ago, in which Piker sarcastically mocked a Black conservative commentator's complaint about "woke" district attorneys. The committee's post asked how Abdul El-Sayed's campaign surrogate felt about Black Americans. Earlier this year Piker also attacked Fox News, and Jennings had advised a network targeted by Piker that it was time to sue.
Left-leaning Raw Story, the only left outlet here, leads with Jennings' own earlier advice to sue, saying it now looks bad for him as a settlement looms. It centers on Jennings' words and the Fox News episode rather than on the clip. Right-leaning Townhall does not mention the lawsuit. Its piece covers a separate event, Jennings on CNN rebutting Democratic strategist Adrienne Elrod's portrayal of Rep. Ilhan Omar as an American dream story. It praises him for demolishing liberal narratives, and it features his remarks about her father's Soviet-trained background and allegations about her marriage. The two sides share only Jennings as a subject. Independent outlet Reason takes a distinct legal and context angle, sympathizing with Piker over sarcasm taken out of context while doubting he should win.
How the sides differ Left sources frame the Piker suit as awkward for Jennings given his past advice; right sources do not cover it, praising his CNN exchange on Ilhan Omar.
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Raw Story leads with Jennings' earlier 'time to sue' advice to a network Piker targeted, arguing it hurts him now that a settlement reportedly looms.
Reason examines the lawsuit's legal and context questions, explaining how Piker's sarcastic Twitch remarks were edited into the clip, and is sympathetic to him while unsure he should win.
Townhall does not address the lawsuit. It covers Jennings on CNN rebutting Adrienne Elrod on Ilhan Omar, quoting his criticism of her and her father's background.