Confirmation votes for Biden administration nominees and wrangling over COVID-19 aid legislation will occupy senators' time over the next two weeks rather than the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump. Read the full story here. It's been a rough week for the Proud Boys and followers of QAnon, pro-Trump conspiracy theorists who had anticipated a day of reckoning during President Biden's inauguration, only to have their dreams dashed when it didn't materialize. Read the full story here.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were officially sworn into office on Wednesday, setting into motion another transfer of power: the handover of the official Twitter handles.
Biden’s administration now controls the Twitter handles @POTUS, @VP, @FLOTUS, @WhiteHouse, and @PressSec, along with two new accounts @WHCOS for the White House chief of staff and @WHCommsDir for the administration’s communications director. Twitter also created a brand-new handle for the nation’s first-ever Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, who can be found at @SecondGentleman.
But anyone who previously followed the official Twitter accounts under Donald Trump’s administration will have to refollow the accounts to get updates from Biden’s administration. Trump’s @POTUS account has been archived as @POTUS45 and will be maintained by the National Archives Records Administration.
The passing of the handles represents far more than it ever has in the past. The accounts have the potential to reach millions of followers and other world leaders as well as rile up or calm the masses.
Barack Obama’s administration was the first to run the official presidential and White House Twitter accounts. But it was Trump who changed the social media game, at times wielding the power of Twitter to attack his opponents, make inflammatory statements, and boost misinformation from other sources. Granted, he mostly did this from his personal account @RealDonaldTrump, which has been permanently defunct since Jan. 8.
So what should we expect from Biden’s Twitter presence as the new commander in chief?
If Biden’s track record on social media tells us anything, it should be pretty tame comparatively. But if the team who ran his social media accounts during his campaign has anything to do with his official accounts (fingers crossed), we may be in store for some memes and light trolling. (Remember when the campaign poked fun at the fly that landed on former Vice President Mike Pence’s head during his debate with Harris last year?)
Twitter has become an effective tool for several politicians, beyond Trump. For example, Republican Rep. Ted Cruz and Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez regularly use the service to reach their followers, promote their agendas, and yes, attack their opponents. That has helped them rally support for specific pieces of legislation or raise awareness of their biggest concerns.
If I had to bet, Biden will likely try to steer clear of any pointed attacks. After all, during his inauguration his main message, should he stick to it, was “unity,” which subsequently is one of his biggest challenges. But if the last four years has taught us anything, it’s that social media has played an increasingly important role in politics. And regardless of who is president, that likely won’t change any time soon.
So here’s to the next chapter of politics on social media. May it be truthful; may it be informative; and in the best case, may it be mildly entertaining.
Danielle Abril
@DanielleDigest
danielle.abril@fortune.com
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Now that Trump has vacated the Oval Office, the Left should resist the temptation to position ourselves as a pressure group within a permanent coalition with centrists. If we see our role as “pushing Biden to the left” inside the mainstream Democratic fold rather than offering a robust alternative, we risk ceasing to exist as a distinct political current.
We can’t deny the obvious reality of Republican obstruction, but instead of fixating on it, we should emphasize what the new administration could do if it wanted to.
To achieve the reforms we need, we must focus our energy not on lobbying centrists to be more social democratic but on building a Left that can beat them in the near future — and govern in our own name. If that goal is our lodestar, our task is clear... |
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