AOC says League of Legends solo queue helped build her patience in Congress

Toxicity and rage-quitters in League of Legends may be good for something after all—especially if you’re a congressperson.

During a Twitch stream yesterday, U.S. congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) said toxicity in the game’s ranked ladder helped strengthen her mental fortitude for her job in government.

“Getting caught in ELO hell really requires so much patience,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “I was … playing with like, 12-year-olds, that are like rage-quitting five minutes into a game. So, it really builds your patience.”

Ocasio-Cortez also named a number of support champions she enjoys playing in League, including Janna, Lux, Morgana, and Sona. The congresswoman said she prefers more “defensive characters” but tends to take an aggressive approach to playing these types of champions.

This isn’t the first time Ocasio-Cortez has talked about her climb in League of Legends’ ranked ladder. In July, the congresswoman revealed she had reached Silver III during the COVID-19 quarantine playing support. In the same thread, she equated right-wing Twitter to child’s play in comparison to “inting 13 year olds.”

During yesterday’s broadcast, Ocasio-Cortez played Among Us with big-name streamers to raise money for community support organizations like food pantries and eviction defense legal aid. By the end of the stream, the congresswoman had raised $200,000 for charity.

Ocasio-Cortez’s debut on Twitch in October marked the third-highest peak for an individual stream on the platform. Having peaked at 438,688 viewers, the stream aimed to “get out the vote” and featured popular streamers like HasanAbi and Pokimane.

In just two streams, Ocasio-Cortez has amassed over 817,000 followers on her Twitch channel.