Hasan Piker, a Twitch and YouTube personality who has turned his online following into a political platform, is appearing alongside his younger brother Murat Piker, a former Boeing aerospace engineer, as the 2026 midterm elections approach. Murat's résumé lists work on the presidential aircraft VC‑25B, the E‑6B airborne command post, and other high‑profile defense programs, while Hasan has been hired by Democratic candidates such as Abdul El‑Sayed and Francesca Hong to draw younger voters.
According to a profile in Rolling Stone published on Aug. 9, 2026, Murat confirmed that he "worked on VC‑25B a little bit." The VC‑25B is the technical designation for the next generation of Air Force One, a project that began under President Donald Trump in 2018 and has been plagued by cost overruns and schedule delays. The Department of Defense has repeatedly cited security‑clearance bottlenecks as a factor in the program's setbacks.
Murat's LinkedIn biography, which lists a Master's in Aerospace Engineering from UCLA and "active Security Clearances," also mentions his involvement with the E‑6B "doomsday plane," a modified Boeing 707 that provides survivable communications for the president and senior military leaders in the event of a nuclear exchange. He further notes work on the E‑3 AWACS, the E‑7 AEW&C, the XLUUV undersea drone, and Boeing's CST‑100 Starliner spacecraft for NASA.
While Murat was a full‑time Boeing employee for more than a decade, he left the company earlier this year, the Washington Free Beacon reports. Boeing declined to comment on the specifics of his assignments, stating that "as a matter of privacy and security, Boeing does not disclose information about the specific work statement of former employees." The company added that security clearances are granted after a rigorous background check administered by the United States government.
Hasan Piker, who commands a multi‑million‑dollar audience on livestream platforms, has leveraged that reach to endorse Democratic candidates in swing districts. His commentary often veers into controversial territory; he has publicly said "America deserved 9/11," expressed support for Hamas, and defended Iran's right to self‑defence. Those statements have drawn criticism from both Republican officials and centrist Democrats, prompting the party's national committee to weigh the electoral benefits of his large following against the potential damage to its brand.
The Piker brothers' public appearances have blended aerospace talk with political rhetoric. In May 2023, they streamed the launch of the ViaSat‑3 F1 satellite, with Murat describing his role in the project and Hasan joking about the risks of a SpaceX failure. Their banter often includes references to internet subcultures, and Murat has been dubbed "Mu‑Dog" by fans during the broadcasts.
Hasan's role as a surrogate has become more formalized as the midterms near. Campaign finance filings show that El‑Sayed's 2026 congressional race received a $250,000 donation from a political action committee linked to Piker's media company. Francesca Hong's campaign has listed Piker's livestreams as a "digital outreach" strategy, citing a spike in donations after his appearances. Political analysts note that while Piker can mobilize younger, tech‑savvy voters, his incendiary remarks risk alienating moderate constituents in suburban districts where the Democratic margin is slim.
The revelation of Murat's defense work adds another layer to the scrutiny. Critics argue that a family member with top‑secret clearance working on projects that cost billions of taxpayer dollars could be used by opponents to question the ethical standards of candidates who associate with the Pikers. Republican strategists have already filed Freedom of Information Act requests seeking details about Murat's clearance level and the exact nature of his contributions to the Air Force One program.
Security‑clearance issues have long been a pain point for the VC‑25B program. The Air Force has reported that the need to vet contractors across multiple Boeing subsidiaries slowed the integration of new avionics and structural components. Industry insiders say that engineers with "top‑secret" clearance are a scarce resource, and the Air Force's demand for such personnel has intensified as the aircraft's delivery date pushes to 2028.
Beyond the political arena, Murat's engineering background reflects broader trends in the defense industry's reliance on private contractors for critical national‑security platforms. Boeing's defense and space division employs thousands of engineers who rotate among programs such as the E‑3 Sentry, the E‑7 AEW&C, and emerging unmanned undersea vehicles. The company's contracts for the presidential fleet and the E‑6B are among the most sensitive, requiring strict adherence to the National Industrial Security Program.
In a recent interview, Murat described his work on "next‑generation satellite structures" and "high‑pressure anomaly investigations," underscoring the technical complexity of the systems that keep the United States' strategic communications operational. While he has not disclosed his current employer, a source familiar with his career said he continues to consult on aerospace projects, though the details remain confidential.
The Piker brothers' public profile also highlights the growing intersection of influencer culture and defense policy. As social media personalities gain political clout, their personal connections to defense contractors may become a new flashpoint in campaign battles. For voters in key battleground states, the question may shift from policy positions to whether a candidate's allies have ties to the nation's most secretive military programs.
Hasan Piker's influence, combined with Murat's aerospace credentials, illustrates how the lines between entertainment, politics, and national security are blurring. As the 2026 midterms draw nearer, both Democrats and Republicans will likely monitor the brothers' activities closely, weighing the electoral payoff against the risk of political fallout from their controversial statements and defense‑industry links.