Donald Trump is surely known for blowing up all of our phones with his various tweets and opinions sent via the @realDonaldTrump Twitter handle. Since Twitter plays such a major role in the President-Elect’s transparent image, it was originally unknown whether he’d take over the @POTUS handle when he takes office as any sitting US president now has full access to the account. However, in a tweet sent by NBC’s Kelly O’Donnell, Trump’s transition team reportedly tells the news personnel that he’ll be sticking to his own Twitter account and won’t be taking over President Obama’s once he departs from The White House.
Transition sources tell me @realDonaldTrump intends to keep using his own account as president, not switching to @potus himself
— Kelly O’Donnell (@KellyO) January 16, 2017
Over at The Guardian, Trump has expressed desire to remain on the @realDonaldTrump handle while the @POTUS handle is controlled by staff members to send official and non-opinion-oriented tweets from the president’s desk, a motion that will likely go in effect.
“I’d rather just let that build up and just keep it @realDonaldTrump, it’s working — and the tweeting, I thought I’d do less of it, but I’m covered so dishonestly by the press — so dishonestly — that I can put out Twitter — and it’s not 140, it’s now 280 — I can go bing bing bing . . . and they put it on and as soon as I tweet it out — this morning on television, Fox — ‘Donald Trump, we have breaking news’.”
As it appears now, Trump will be using his own Twitter account to make headlines rather the official @POTUS account. @realDonaldTrump will still be bombarded by the President-Elect’s opinions, current matters, and thoughts about certain news topics. In other words, it’ll remain exactly the same way it does now, making Trump one of the most transparent presidents in US history in terms of personal opinions and comments not verified beforehand.
In addition, it seems that Trump’s reference to the 280 characters available to him likely mean the two Twitter accounts he’ll now control. Of course, as aforementioned, don’t expect him to be tweeting from @POTUS very often, but moments such as Presidential visits and announcements from The White House may be shared via this account rather over on @realDonaldTrump.
As of now, it’s unclear if Melania Trump, the soon-to-be First Lady of the United States, will make the switch to the @FLOTUS Twitter handle or if she’ll do like her husband and remain on her personal @MELANIATRUMP handle, but we’ve reached out to the Trump press offices and will update this article with any developments.
- SOURCES: Kelly O’Donnell (Twitter), The Guardian
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