Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) criticized plans for antisemitic streamer Hasan Piker to speak on the flagship campus of the University of Texas, becoming the first Democrat in Texas’ congressional delegation to do so.

Piker was invited by the school’s University Democrats student group for a speech set for Sept. 30.

“Hasan Piker’s scheduled appearance at the University of Texas is deeply concerning,” Cuellar wrote on X. “Free speech allows difficult and controversial views, but it does not require anyone to stay silent when someone has a history of hateful comments about Jewish Americans, 9/11, and Hamas terrorism.”

Cuellar, among the most moderate Democrats in the House, said that Jewish students at the school “should not be made to feel targeted or unsafe on their own campus. UT should be a place for debate, learning, and respect, not antisemitism or rhetoric that excuses terrorism.”

He stopped short of explicitly calling for the speech to be canceled.

Piker said on X that the comments were a “direct violation of the 1st amendment,” adding, “free speech must be protected. dems should push back against this attack!”

Democratic Majority for Israel thanked Cuellar for “speaking up on this important matter.”

“Piker is a dangerous figure who continues to peddle in dangerous conspiracy theories, antisemitism, and hateful bigotry. He should be provided no safe harbor in our party,” DMFI said.

Various Republicans including Gov. Greg Abbott, Texas Attorney General and Senate nominee  Ken Paxton and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) all previously condemned the planned speech. Rep. Marc Veasey (D-TX), who co-chairs the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism, declined to comment last week when contacted by JI. 

Responding to Piker’s post about Cuellar, UT’s University Democrats stood firm and accused the university of failing to properly facilitate the event by providing a sufficiently large space.

“There are multiple 2,000+ seat venues on campus available for use and yet the [university] remains silent!” the group said on X. The group also suggested that political considerations are driving those difficulties.

The University of Texas did not respond to a request for comment.