Hasan Piker on Why the US Empire Is in Decline
We’re living in the imperial end times, argues Hasan Piker. With Trump entering a quagmire in Iran after having cast off America’s allies, a new era of belligerence, cruelty, and MAGA fascism looms over the home front.
Hasan Piker is photographed during an election night event for Zohran Mamdani at the Brooklyn Paramount on November 4, 2025. (Adam Gray / Bloomberg via Getty Images)
As the post‑liberal world buckles with Donald Trump’s war on Iran, and the old certainties of American power fall away, few commentators have been as blunt about the stakes — or as darkly funny — as Hasan Piker.
In this episode of The Jacobin Show with David Griscom, Hasan joins David Griscom for a wide‑ranging conversation on the accelerating crisis of American hegemony, the rise of a Trump‑shaped political order, and the imperial boomerang now hitting the domestic front. From Europe’s shock at being treated like the “Global South” to the bipartisan collapse on immigration, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in particular, Piker argues that the old liberal consensus is dead — and that only organized, disciplined working‑class power offers a path forward.
You can watch the full episode here. This transcript has been edited for clarity.
This article is for subscribers only. Please login or subscribe to access our full archives and beautiful print and digital magazine starting at just $3 a month.