Democrat vice presidential nominee Tim Walz teamed up with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) on the streaming platform Twitch to playing video games in a desperate attempt to reach young male voters the Harris campaign is struggling to gain support from.
The Washington Post reports that Minnesota Governor and Democrat vice presidential nominee Tim Walz joined forces with AOC on the streaming platform Twitch. The duo took to the virtual stage on Sunday to play video games and discuss a range of topics, from electoral politics to social security benefits.
Ocasio-Cortez, who has been using her Twitch channel since 2020 to connect with constituents and discuss important issues, hosted the stream. The pair started by playing Madden NFL 25, a best-selling football video game franchise. Walz, a former varsity football coach, represented the Minnesota Vikings, while Ocasio-Cortez, who spent the last two days learning the game through tutorials, played as the Buffalo Bills.
During the stream, Walz emphasized the importance of engaging with the gaming community, stating, “I see gamers, many times, are on the front end of this. It’s a collaborative community and they’re competitive. … I see many folks who are cynical about this. I hear it all the time, ‘I’m just not into politics.’ Too bad! Politics is into you.”
The outreach to gamers on streaming platforms is not unique to the Democratic party. The Trump campaign has also made efforts to connect with this demographic, as both parties aim to secure support among young male voters. Recently, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) appeared on streams with Pokimane and Valkyrae, two of the most prominent female creators on Twitch and YouTube.
Walz and Ocasio-Cortez also delved into more serious topics, such as Social Security benefits, drawing from their personal experiences. Both politicians had parents who passed away when they were young, and they discussed how Social Security protected their families during those difficult times.
The conversation also touched on the Democratic party’s efforts to persuade progressives who may feel disillusioned with the party, as well as their concerns regarding the current crisis in Gaza. Walz stressed the importance of the party effectively communicating its successes and rectifying past wrongs to regain the trust of these voters.
Read more at the Washington Post here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.