Biden officially takes over POTUS Twitter account

The official White House-affiliated social media platforms have been signed over to members of the new administration.

Jan 20, 2021

The POTUS account on Twitter has been officially signed over to President Joe Biden. Other handles belonging to official White House affiliated social platforms have also been granted to new users.

Joe Biden Sworn In As 46th President Of The United States At U.S. Capitol Inauguration Ceremony — WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 20: U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during his on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2021 in Washington, DC. During today’s inauguration ceremony Joe Biden becomes the 46th president of the United States. (Photo by Pool/Getty Images)

As Biden took over @POTUS, he used his first tweet announcing the digital transition to tell his followers to not only follow him, but to also follow his wife, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, his Vice-President Kamala Harris, and Harris’s husband, the new, and first ever, Second Gentleman, Doug Emhoff. The new administration will now use those Twitter accounts for official duties.

Folks — This will be the account for my official duties as President. At 12:01 PM on January 20th, it will become @POTUS. Until then, I'll be using @JoeBiden. And while you're here, follow @FLOTUSBiden @SenKamalaHarris @SecondGentleman and @Transition46.
— President Biden (@POTUS) January 15, 2021

His second tweet got right to the point in wording and timing. The 46th president addressed the nation on the social platform with a confirmation of his commitment to begin work immediately.

“There is no time to waste when it comes to tackling the crises we face,” Biden tweeted. “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.”

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.
— President Biden (@POTUS) January 20, 2021

Even Biden’s use of Twitter represents a welcome change. During former President Donald Trump‘s time in office, he used the social platform to spread his agenda. In his last months in office, his tweets became a tool to promote unfounded claims of voter fraud. As theGrio reported, Trump eventually earned a lifetime ban from Twitter, supported by the company’s CEO Jack Dorsey.

“After the riot on Capitol Hill that took place on Jan.6, Trump’s continued tweets created an extraordinary and untenable circumstance,” Dorsey said in a statement.

“I do not celebrate or feel pride in our having to ban @realDonaldTrump from Twitter,“ Dorsey wrote according to the report. But, he added, ”I believe this was the right decision for Twitter.”

A statement from Twitter revealed the transition of each page to a zero follower count. Unlike when the POTUS account moved from former President Barack Obama to Trump, Biden received the handle with a clean slate. Users who previously followed the POTUS account and other official pages with new owners will get a notification about the transfer with the option to follow the page with Biden at the lead.

“These institutional accounts will not automatically retain the followers from the prior administration. People on Twitter who previously followed institutional White House Twitter accounts, or who currently follow relevant Biden or Harris Twitter accounts, will receive in-app alerts and other prompts that will notify them about the archival process, as well as give them the option to follow the new administration’s Twitter accounts,” the statement said.

Rob Flaherty, the incoming digital director of the White House called the process, “profoundly insufficient,” in a Tweet several days ago.