New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani launched a recurring Twitch livestream series titled "Talk with the People" today at 4 PM Eastern Time. The stream marks the first recurring cross-platform livestream hosted by an elected official in the United States [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7].
"With the launch of 'Talk with the People' we’re bringing City Hall to the platforms where New Yorkers already are — speaking directly with the people," Mamdani said. "By launching the country's first recurring cross-platform stream hosted by an elected official, where I’ll answer New Yorkers’ questions live on Twitch, we’re opening up a direct line of conversation between our government and the people, especially younger generations who’ve been ignored for too long" [1].
The livestream is simulcast simultaneously on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, and Bluesky, but only viewers on Twitch can submit questions through the chat function [1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7]. Twitch, with over 240 million monthly active users and 72% of them under age 34, offers a key platform to reach younger voters [8].
The series name references former Mayor Fiorello La Guardia's 1940s radio program "Talk to the People," which also sought to use modern technology to speak directly to citizens [1, 4, 5, 6, 7]. Mamdani aims to rebuild closer connections between government and communities that generally feel ignored, particularly youth [1, 2, 3, 6, 7].
During the inaugural stream, Mamdani answered live questions on topics including the city’s $12 billion budget deficit closure plan, SNAP eligibility, a new $1.2 billion universal childcare initiative, and public transit goals [9, 8]. The mayor also disclosed his unfamiliarity with popular video games like Minecraft, saying, "I’ve gotta be honest, I have not played Minecraft. How do you play Minecraft? Is it a computer game? [...] I sound so old, because to me, Minecraft is a movie that I knew was based on a video game" [9].
A co-host advised viewers to keep the chat respectful, stating, "Try to be a little respectful and keep it family friendly," amid spam and explicit messages appearing during the stream [9, 8]. Mamdani struggled at times with internet slang and cultural references, relying on the co-host's coaching on Twitch chat etiquette [8].
Mamdani’s political rise has been closely tied to social media, and this Twitch series extends that approach onto platforms favored by younger audiences [1, 3, 5, 6]. He promoted the launch on Instagram and X, drawing comparisons to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s fireside chats [3, 4, 5].
The first livestream began as scheduled around 4:00 to 4:10 PM ET on May 21, 2026 [1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7].
