Livestreaming video platform Twitch, popular with gamers, was used by a gunman in German who posted a stream of his attack on a synagogue and restaurant in the city of Halle
Livestreaming video platform Twitch, popular with gamers, was used by a gunman in German who posted a stream of his attack on a synagogue and restaurant in the city of Halle AFP / Martin BUREAU

US President Donald Trump who uses Twitter for many policy announcements has now also joined Twitch, owned by Amazon, as he goes on the campaign trail for re-election.

Trump on Thursday opened his account on Twitch just before a campaign rally in Minneapolis which then streamed live.

Twitch, which has gained a following for livestreaming gaming, was acquired in 2014 by Amazon for $970 million, and has an estimated 15 million daily active users.

By Friday, Trump's account had around 37,000 followers and the video of the rally attracted more than 165,000 views.

While mostly a site for gamers, allowing them to share recordings of their performances, Twitch also lets users upload and share non-gaming videos.

The platform received unwelcome attention this week when a video of a deadly shooting in the German city of Halle was posted there and seen more than 2,000 times before it was taken down.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos regularly attracts the ire of the American president, especially because he owns the Washington Post which Trump has called enemy of the people and a source of fake news.

Trump is also no fan of video games, which he said helped motivate mass shootings in Texas and Ohio this year.

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