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The Internet Noticed Something Very Interesting in This Photo Hasan Piker Posted of Himself Reading Lenin

Dmitri Bolt
Dmitri Bolt  |  May 01, 2026 11:00 AM

Hasan Piker continues to spearhead what it means to be a champagne socialist, as in a recent photo posted to social media, the self-proclaimed communist is pictured reading, "What is to Be Done?" by Vladimir Lenin, although he forgot to take off what some people identified as a $4,000 Cartier ring he was wearing.

Social media quickly seized on the photo, noting that Piker has praised communist figures from Lenin to Mao and has called on his audience to commit crimes against capitalists simply because they have more wealth than others.

"Lenin wanted to overthrow the tsar and create a new communist man, while today’s democratic socialists want 'high speed rail' from Bakersfield to Sacramento and free cross-sex hormones for 'trans kids,'" Christopher Ruffo a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, wrote on social media. "It’s a fundamentally childish ideology, only capable of empty simulation."

Daily Wire co-founder and conservative commentator Ben Shapiro also mocked the photo, changing the image to feature Hasan reading "The Rainbow Fish," a well-known children's book.

However, Piker himself denied that the ring was Cartier, with no comment on reading the book, one of the most deadly and cruel men of the 20th century.

This comes as Piker has gained prominence in the mainstream news cycle after supporting and campaigning with several Democratic candidates and current representatives during the midterm elections. The backlash has centered on the extremity of his rhetoric, including claims that the United States deserved 9/11, that the fall of the USSR was one of the greatest catastrophes of the 20th century, and instances of calling on his audience to engage in violence against "capitalists."

Piker himself grew up wealthy and has often been seen defending communism while wearing designer clothing worth thousands of dollars.