“I honestly heard about this just from Hasan because I've been watching him for years,” political science senior Caroline Anderson said before the rally. “I'm excited that he's here doing this because I never expected MSU to be one of the schools he would come to.” 

Digital storytelling senior Rachel Kozlowski, said she also heard about the event from Piker.

“It is really inspiring to hear so much of what my generation is feeling coming from people with more power and reach fighting for us,” Kozlowski said. 

Since 2018, Piker has grown his fanbase on the live streaming platform Twitch to over 3.1 million followers. He logs on nearly everyday, livestreaming for hours.  

Over 37,000 people logged onto Twitch to watch the rally at MSU live. 

In the days before the rally, Piker said that his appearance at the rally could help attract disengaged members of the electorate. For some students who showed up, his presence indeed acted as a sort of megaphone for El-Sayed’s platform, attracting potential voters with an enticing slate of policies.

“I really love that (Piker) endorses candidates because I especially believe in this message for Medicare for all,” said nutrition senior Ayesha Alvi.

This is not the first time Piker has endorsed a candidate. During the 2025 New York City mayoral election, then-candidate Zohran Mamdani was interviewed by Piker on his Twitch channel and Piker was spotted at events hosted by the Mamdani campaign.

Some students said El-Sayed’s messaging on combatting the influence of corporate lobbying in politics resonated with them.

Anthony Bennett, geology graduate student said “kicking corporate money out of politics” is what drew him to the rally.

Lee, the representative from Pennsylvania, delivered an impassioned speech emphasizing the need for Gen-Z to involve itself in the upcoming midterm election.

That energy found a receptive energy Tuesday afternoon. Kozlowski said Lee brought a “fiery energy” that “can stand up to the strong personalities on the right.” 

Agency was a repeated theme during the event, with Lee’s call for youth engagement and Piker adamantly rejecting nihilism as a response to the political moment.

“I really enjoyed it especially in the time right now, when it feels so hopeless and you think that everything is going wrong in the world, it's really nice to see that beacon of light,” Alvi said.