Biden Takes Control of @POTUS Account

Twitter transferred the handle and others to the new administration.
By Luke Roney,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 20, 2021 6:34 PM CST
It's Twitter Official: Biden is @POTUS
A US Secret Service agent changes the license plate on President Joe Biden's limousine near the North Portico of the White House, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, in Washington.   (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool)

The Biden-Harris Administration is now Twitter official. In addition to being sworn into office Wednesday, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took control of the @POTUS and @VP Twitter handles, NPR reports. “Once the official oath of office is completed, you’ll notice the transition of official administration Twitter accounts occur too,” TwitterGov tweeted. Biden’s first @POTUS tweet: “There is no time to waste when it comes to tackling the crises we face. That's why today, I am heading to the Oval Office to get right to work delivering bold action and immediate relief for American families.” Other Twitter accounts that have been transferred to the new administration include: @FLOTUS, @WhiteHouse, @PressSec, and @SecondGentleman.

Twitter said in a statement that the accounts would not automatically retain followers from the previous administration—a change from the handoff four years ago. Instead, followers of the accounts would get alerts inviting them to follow the new administration. Rob Flaherty, Biden’s digital director, called Twitter’s transition plan “profoundly insufficient,” per the Washington Post. “They’re bending themselves over backwards to break with the 2017 protocol they set on the transfer of accounts, and also breaking with every other social platform in providing the new administration a follower base,” Flaherty tweeted. As of Wednesday evening, Biden’s @POTUS account had nearly 4 million followers. Trump-era Tweet’s from the @POTUS account will be archived, according to Twitter, under the handle @POTUS45. (More President Biden stories.)

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