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Hasan Piker: 'The Fall of the USSR Was One of the Greatest Catastrophes of the 20th Century'

Dmitri Bolt
Dmitri Bolt  |  April 15, 2026 11:00 AM

Far-left streamer Hasan Piker made another striking remark Tuesday at Yale University, telling a room full of students that the collapse of the USSR was “one of the greatest catastrophes of the 20th century.” He argued that, without a counterweight to U.S. power, American foreign policy went unchecked, something he described as a regrettable development.

"The fall of the USSR was one of the greatest catastrophes of the 20th century," Piker told the crowd. "Just wait, listen, maybe you'll agree. Not only was there incalculable harm done to every single country under its banner, child prostitution, skyrocketing suicide rates, life expectancy plummeting, but America was no longer contested around the globe. And it is precisely because of the end to that multipolarity that we saw accelerated neoliberalism that is devastating every Western nation right now, unlimited and unchecked greed."

"Our successes are leading to our own demise, and the demise and collapse of the liberal system," he added. "The US has produced disaster after disaster after disaster."

His view boils down to the idea that the United States is a force for evil in the world, and that its involvement inevitably makes situations worse. It’s a perspective shared by some on both the far left and the isolationist right, arguing that the U.S. should step back from the global stage and avoid involvement abroad altogether.

This comes as the Democratic Party has increasingly embraced Piker, who has been seen campaigning with Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, who drew attention after declining to celebrate the death of Ayatollah Khamenei, arguing that many people in his state were deeply saddened by it, among others.

While conservative media have highlighted Piker’s past rhetoric and controversial history, more Democrats appear willing to align with him, as Piker himself has said that requests from Democratic figures to meet with him have increased tenfold.