The boys are alt-right.

At least that’s what polling and voting data suggests. Men under 25 were nearly 20 percent more likely to vote for Donald Trump than women in that age group in the 2024 election, revealing a gender gap far larger than those in older generations.

Democrats have been freaking out about their young men problem. They’re starting podcasts. They’re talking about sports. They’re cursing more.

And increasingly they’re courting Hasan Piker: a 33-year-old Twitch streamer some are calling the “Joe Rogan of the left.” Piker livestreams for eight hours or more nearly every day. He has millions of followers, a group that skews young and male. Piker is a self-described leftist. He’ll vote Democrat as the lesser of two evils, but he’s been very critical of the party, especially over its handling of Israel’s war in Gaza.

He’s overtly political — but also an entertainer. During a recent streaming session, Piker bantered about his squat form and riffed on Andy Samberg’s face, before pivoting to a long interview with New York Times politics reporter Astead Herndon.

The message is equal parts self-improvement and how to fight for a better world, emphasis on fight. His message to his followers — and to Democrats seeking a way forward — is to get more antagonistic in pushing for what they believe in.

“You should fight back,” Piker told Today, Explained co-host Sean Rameswaram. “You should be like, ‘No, this is what I believe.’ Why do you not want to give health care to poor people? Like, what’s wrong with you?”

Piker’s conversation with Today, Explained ranged from his protein intake, to Lyndon B. Johnson’s thoughts on race, to the “warm blanket” of right-wing media. Make sure you listen to the whole........

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