Key Takeaways
- “Talk with the People” is a recurring Twitch livestream hosted by Zohran Mamdani.
- The first stream premieres today (May 21) and will also be simulcast across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, and Bluesky.
- Viewers can submit questions in real time through Twitch chat, creating a live Q&A format.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani certainly isn’t short on ways to connect with the people of New York. On Thursday (May 21), he announced that he’s heading over to Twitch — yes, the same platform used by Kai Cenat, iShowSpeed, and plenty of other social media giants — for a brand-new series.
Slated to begin today (May 21) at 4:10 p.m ET., “Talk with the People” will give the public a chance to ask Mamdani questions directly through the streaming platform’s chat. It’s being billed as a “recurring” series, though for now, there’s no word on how often he’ll go live or how long each broadcast will run. For anyone who isn’t quite hip to Twitch, the stream will also be available on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, and Bluesky.
“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 told Polygon. "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.”
It’s worth mentioning that Mayor Mamdani isn’t the first politician, let alone the first New York City mayor, to appear on Twitch. Last year, Eric Adams linked with streamer Raud for a crossover we definitely didn’t see coming. Meanwhile, in 2020, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made her debut on the platform to play Among Us (spoiler: she’s pretty good at it).
While we wait for Mamdani’s first broadcast, see his teaser post below.
Zohran Mamdani is stacking groundbreaking achievements as New York City’s first Muslim mayor
Mamdani’s mayoral run has already been historic in more ways than one. Beyond being New York City’s first Muslim mayor and one of the youngest to ever hold the office, he’s managed to make headway on some of his biggest campaign promises. For starters, Gov. Kathy Hochul committed $1.2 billion toward his childcare agenda for fiscal year 2027.
Then there’s the city-owned grocery store plan, which is moving forward with a location at The Peninsula, an affordable housing development in the South Bronx. The effort also comes with a sizable price tag. According to NBC, construction operations are expected to cost around $30 million, with the first of five planned locations slated to open by the end of next year.