WASHINGTON — House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries sought to leverage social media to rally Democrats during the ongoing government shutdown, but his livestream initiative backfired, highlighting the party’s struggles to connect with a wider audience.

Jeffries had promised a near-continuous broadcast of the shutdown, telling reporters that Democrats would stay “until (almost) the bitter end,” according to Politico’s Adam Wren. Instead, the livestream was marred by technical issues, including frequent stops, starts, and glitches. At times, viewership dwindled to “just a few dozen” on the YouTube stream, according to Wren.

The production, which featured a rotating roster of Democratic House members and influencers, immediately drew ridicule from Republicans. Meanwhile, Democrats were left embarrassed, with some acknowledging that the messaging effort had been poorly executed. Over Tuesday and Wednesday, Jeffries streamed live five separate times, collectively drawing fewer than 50,000 views across all broadcasts.

The effort was part of a broader strategy by House Democrats to pressure Republicans on healthcare provisions for undocumented immigrants, using online platforms to broadcast complaints about the administration’s stance. Yet, the intended impact largely failed to materialize. Wren described the livestream as “occasionally awkward, repetitive — if mostly on message,” likening it to “a throwback telethon with none of the charisma or surprise.”