2019 has been a rollercoaster with little apparent regard for its occupants, and if this week’s mad whirlwind of games crossing over with significant international political events hadn’t already peaked, now United States president Donald Trump is streaming his campaign rallies on Twitch.
Trump’s Twitch account went live ahead of his campaign rally in Minneapolis, Minnesota yesterday. That broadcast brought in a peak of 14,397 viewers, and an average of 11,888 viewers on the platform, according to data from SullyGnome. Trump spent much of the rally attacking Democratic opponents and downplaying the ongoing impeachment inquiry, as the Associated Press details.
The president certainly isn’t the first US politician to make use of Twitch. 2020 presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders has been streaming since June of this year. His first broadcast brought in a peak of 14,860 viewers, and an average of 13,458. While Sanders’ first stream narrowly outperformed Trump’s, the sitting president is quickly catching up in the follower count just one day after the channel went live.
While candidates are likely to keep heading to Twitch in an effort to appeal to young voters, Trump’s appearance on the platform is especially curious after his criticism of its parent company, Amazon, as The Verge notes.
Some players have also been quick to note Trump’s past criticism of violent games, and while Twitch has been continually expanding past its gaming focus, games still form the platform’s bread and butter.