WASHINGTON (CN) — “The storm’s coming. I’ve got to run,” said former New York congressman and accused felon George Santos.
It was early on a Friday evening. The onetime lawmaker was hauling uphill. He was attempting with some difficulty to rendezvous with his teammate, an avatar wearing a Buffalo Bills football kit emblazoned with the number of the late NFL running back O. J. Simpson.
This all might sound like a fever dream — but not quite. Santos, known in Beltway circles as one of the only lawmakers to ever be booted from Congress, was streaming live on Twitch, an online broadcast platform for gamers. He’d joined streamer ConnorEatsPants for an interview.
In real life, the former congressman from New York’s Third Congressional District was expelled from Congress last year after a series of bizarre scandals and fantastical lies. Last summer, he pleaded guilty to two federal charges.
On Twitch on Friday, Santos was instead just another person playing the wildly popular video game Fortnite: Battle Royale. Much like the Capitol itself, the game is a no-holds-barred brawl featuring eccentric personalities and often, bad behavior.
Santos played under the screen name “MrSantosNY.” As he and ConnorEatsPants leapt from the starting Battle Bus to combat across Fortnite’s sprawling map, the pair chatted. In front of an audience of more than 6,500, they discussed the disgraced former congressman’s time on Capitol Hill, the federal charges against him and a grab bag of hot-button political issues.
It was part of ConnorEatsPants “Fortnite Friday” series — an intermittent stream that’s also featured rappers, actors and other celebrities. Santos’ appearance comes as political figures of all stripes have turned to nontraditional media in an effort to expand their reach to new and younger audiences.
Even the major presidential candidates are hopping on the trend. On Monday, Vice President Kamala Harris appeared on “Call Her Daddy,” a weekly comedy and advice podcast that has become one of the most-listened shows on streaming services.
In August, former President Donald Trump likewise sat down with streamer Adin Ross. During their hourlong conversation, Ross gifted the Republican a Rolex watch and a Tesla Cybertruck — a likely violation of U.S. campaign finance regulations, as some critics pointed out.
The political focus on content creators was especially apparent at the Democratic National Convention in August. Party officials issued media credentials to hundreds of creators, including TikTok news aggregator Philip DeFranco and Twitch streamer Hasan Piker.
Such creators were feted like VIPs. The Democratic National Committee constructed a three-tiered stage on the convention floor, giving them an unrestricted view of the proceedings. It also provided them with a private lounge — an accommodation that caused friction between the Democrats and traditional journalists, who got no such treatment.
Efforts to court younger audiences can have obvious political undertones. But Santos’ appearance on Fortnite Friday was equally about providing entertainment, ConnorEatsPants told Courthouse News in an interview on Monday.
Connor, who asked to only use his first name for privacy reasons, said he saw it as an opportunity to dissect a controversial political figure while also bringing on a person who has in many ways become his own meme.
“I think there’s a desire in what I do, which is escapism entertainment, to provide something of substance, too,” he said. “Escapism and humor are important in and of themselves, but — especially during an election year when it feels kind of helpless, with how on fire the world is — how can I contribute some good?”
Connor, 25, reasoned that the former New York congressman was a perfect example of straddling the line between humor and serious discourse. “What the hell is going on in American politics that this can even happen, that this guy can get in?” he said.
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