Transfer of power in Oval Office, social media as Biden is sworn in
A screenshot of the @POTUS Twitter page is shown on Jan. 20, 2021, after President Joe Biden was sworn in to office.[Twitter]
Now that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have been inaugurated as president and vice president, another sort of transfer of power has taken place on social media.
The new social media accounts for the Biden administration, as well as First Lady Jill Biden and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, are now live with their official handles.
Twitter has transferred the @POTUS and @WhiteHouse handles from former President Donald Trump to Biden, archiving the Trump administration’s account as @POTUS45 and @WhiteHouse45. Similarly, Harris has assumed the @VP account, and former Vice President Mike Pence’s official tweets can now be found at @VP45.
Unlike with the transfer from Obama to Trump, these are completely new accounts. Anyone who was following the Trump administration’s official government accounts will have to follow the new White House accounts to get updates from the Biden administration.
The same is true on Facebook and Instagram; the White House and POTUS pages are brand-new for the Biden administration.
Here are the first posts from each of the new official social media accounts:
President Joe Biden
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
Vice President Kamala Harris
Ready to serve.
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) January 20, 2021
The White House
Today, the work begins. pic.twitter.com/OqdALNJj4A
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 20, 2021