In her short time as a member of Congress, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has shown that she navigates our digital world better than almost any other politician. From using Instagram Live to talk policy while she cooks dinner to incorporating Clipomatic so that her videos include captions (a tip she picked up from deaf and disability advocates), AOC gives us rare access into her new life. But she’s also using social media to keep her followers informed about the issues she most cares about. That’s why earlier this week, she called in to a Twitch livestream.
Over the weekend, when YouTuber H.Bomberguy – aka Harry Brewis – hosted a Donkey Kong 64 livestream to raise money for Mermaids, an organization that supports gender diverse and transgender children, Ocasio-Cortez called in to lend her support. During the chat, she discussed the government shutdown and the workers affected by it and trans rights.
But Alexandria didn’t just talk politics during her phone call, she also chatted a little about her own history with gaming systems. “Donkey Kong 64 is outside of my wheelhouse,” she said. “… I’ve never owned an N64, though I do think it’s probably the best system out of all of them. I’ve never owned an N64, but I used to go my cousin’s house all the time, and she had super Mario 64, Pokemon Snap, and probably a handful of other things. That’s probably all I know how to play.”
AOC also tweeted about the livestream in a thread, where she spoke out against Aaron Sorkin, who said that the new generation of Democrat leaders need to “stop acting like young people” and that politics isn’t just “about transgender bathrooms,” which he called a “Republican talking point.”
The stream, which went on for more than 50 hours, raised $340,000.