THE CLIP
But Hasan interviewed a Houthi-linked Yemeni creator?
The interview and positive framing are real; the viral version collapses the guest's disputed identity, a broader Red Sea argument, and a separate hostage-taking incident.
“Hasan platformed a confirmed Houthi terrorist and endorsed hostage-taking.”
WHAT THE RECORD SHOWS
Hasan interviewed Rashid Al-Haddad and said, 'We think the Houthis, Ansarullah, are doing what Luffy would do.' He framed the Houthi campaign positively. Al-Haddad denied being a Houthi fighter, and Hasan later said he was wrong to assume the teenager belonged to Ansar Allah.
The friendly interview and pro-blockade framing are real; Hasan later said the guest was not Houthi and called random hostage-taking 'terrorist shit.'
THE SURROUNDING RECORD
The interview happened in January 2024 after videos of a young Yemeni TikTok creator, Rashid Al-Haddad, appearing aboard the Galaxy Leader had circulated online. Hasan spoke with him through a translator and gave the conversation a deliberately casual tone, including questions about One Piece. When the subject said he watched the anime, Hasan replied that the Houthis, or Ansarullah, were doing what Luffy would do. He also asked what the teenager had to say to people who called him a terrorist and responded 'respect' when the answer dismissed those critics.
Hasan interviewed and humanized someone associated with the Houthi ship seizure. The interview used a casual format.
In a later interview, Hasan said Rashid Al-Haddad was Sunni and outside Ansar Allah. In his later response to the broader controversy, Hasan said: “He’s not a Houthie himself. He’s not a pirate.” He also said he had initially thought the teenager was Houthi and admitted that he was wrong after the interview.
In a later debate, Hasan said he believed the Houthi campaign against Israel-linked shipping was a good way to pressure Israel during its assault on Gaza. The same transcript records him saying that kidnapping random unaffiliated sailors would be 'terrorist shit.'
Hasan platformed a young Yemeni figure associated online with the Houthis, made the interview friendly, and used heroic language about Ansarullah's campaign. The guest denied being Houthi, and Hasan later acknowledged that he had been wrong about the guest's affiliation.
THE QUOTED LINE
“We think the Houthis, Ansarullah, are doing what Luffy would do.”
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WATCH THE SOURCE
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