Controversial political commentator and streamer Steven “Destiny” Bonnell was recently banned by Kick, his primary streaming platform. The company cited “hate speech” as the reason. Another popular streamer, Asmongold, has now condemned Kick’s decision, calling it “asymmetrical” and hypocritical.

"I disagree, I don't think he should be banned," Asmongold said during a July 17 stream. He added that Kick allows "people who commit crimes" to stream without issue, making Destiny's approach seem hypocritical. The streamer agreed that Destiny's actions warranted some backlash, and felt it would have been more appropriate to remove sponsorship deals and partnerships rather than ban him from the platform altogether.

Asmongold clarified that actions do have consequences. However, they are unlikely to be accepted if they are, as he put it, “asymmetric,” and expressed hope that Destiny would be banned again, even if he doesn’t “necessarily agree” with his comments. “I think he has the right to say it,” the streamer said, adding that freedom of speech and the ability to “say bad things and not have to worry about it” is why people came to Kick in the first place. Asmongold wasn’t the only one to criticize Kick’s dual approach, as some fans online have also pointed out the company’s “double standards.”

Destiny was recently at the center of controversy after he reportedly made comments mocking the death of a bystander who was present at the attempted assassination of former US President Donald Trump. The person in question, a Pennsylvania firefighter, was shot dead. Destiny has written and spoken extensively on the topic, with some of his alleged comments being the reason behind his removal from Kick. The creator was also demonetized on X (formerly Twitter) for the same reason after the company’s current owner, Elon Musk, was alerted to the discussion.