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More than 6 years in, Obama gets his own Twitter account
After more than six years in office, US President Barack Obama got his own Twitter account Monday.
After more than six years in office, US President Barack Obama got his own Twitter account Monday.
"Hello, Twitter! It's Barack," his first tweet read. "Really! Six years in, they're finally giving me my own account."
The short tweet set off a flurry of attention. Obama's account had garnered more than 1 million followers by late afternoon, as well as a series of amusing replies.
Former president Bill Clinton posted: "Welcome to @Twitter, @POTUS! One question: Does that username stay with the office? #askingforafriend."
Taking him up on the veiled reference to his wife, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Obama replied: "Good question, @billclinton. The handle comes with the house. Know anyone interested in @FLOTUS?"
The White House's deputy director of online engagement, Alex Wall, had answered that question before Clinton posed it: The new Twitter handle will be passed on to the next president when Obama leaves office.
Until now, the president had occasionally tweeted on a converted campaign account, @BarackObama, adding his initials to indicate personal tweets, as opposed to those written by aides. Now, with his own account — including a description that reads "Dad, husband, and 44th President of the United States," and a warning that his tweets might be archived — he can tweet officially.
"The @POTUS Twitter account will serve as a new way for President Obama to engage directly with the American people, with tweets coming exclusively from him," the White House said in a statement. "President Obama is committed to making his Administration the most open and participatory in history, and @POTUS will give Americans a new venue to engage on the issues that matter most to them."
All of the messages from the @POTUS account will come directly from the president, aides said.
One reason it took so long for Obama to launch his own account is that someone else had acquired the handle but was not actively using it. The White House worked with Twitter to obtain it.
The president's first tweet was written on an iPhone, prompting widespread speculation that Obama was now using an Apple product to capture his inner musings. But administration officials said that phone belongs to the Executive Office of the President. Obama's own phone was not used to send his tweet Monday.
Obama is already following dozens of Twitter accounts, including those of the universities he attended, several Chicago sports teams and multiple administration officials.
Other users welcomed Obama to Twitter:
From user Josh M.: "@POTUS Hey Mr. President! Do world leaders still despise Mondays?"
From Twitter's own official account: "Welcome, Mr. President!"
From Vice President Joe Biden: "Hey @POTUS — Welcome to Twitter. See you around the neighborhood. _vp."
And from first lady Michelle Obama: "It's about time, @POTUS! _mo."
There were a few questions for Obama, too.
New York Times culture reporter Dave Itzkoff sought the president's thoughts on the "Mad Men" finale: "@POTUS So did he actually create the Coke commercial or was it just a metaphor?"
"Hello, Twitter! It's Barack," his first tweet read. "Really! Six years in, they're finally giving me my own account."
The short tweet set off a flurry of attention. Obama's account had garnered more than 1 million followers by late afternoon, as well as a series of amusing replies.
Former president Bill Clinton posted: "Welcome to @Twitter, @POTUS! One question: Does that username stay with the office? #askingforafriend."
Taking him up on the veiled reference to his wife, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Obama replied: "Good question, @billclinton. The handle comes with the house. Know anyone interested in @FLOTUS?"
The White House's deputy director of online engagement, Alex Wall, had answered that question before Clinton posed it: The new Twitter handle will be passed on to the next president when Obama leaves office.
Until now, the president had occasionally tweeted on a converted campaign account, @BarackObama, adding his initials to indicate personal tweets, as opposed to those written by aides. Now, with his own account — including a description that reads "Dad, husband, and 44th President of the United States," and a warning that his tweets might be archived — he can tweet officially.
"The @POTUS Twitter account will serve as a new way for President Obama to engage directly with the American people, with tweets coming exclusively from him," the White House said in a statement. "President Obama is committed to making his Administration the most open and participatory in history, and @POTUS will give Americans a new venue to engage on the issues that matter most to them."
All of the messages from the @POTUS account will come directly from the president, aides said.
One reason it took so long for Obama to launch his own account is that someone else had acquired the handle but was not actively using it. The White House worked with Twitter to obtain it.
The president's first tweet was written on an iPhone, prompting widespread speculation that Obama was now using an Apple product to capture his inner musings. But administration officials said that phone belongs to the Executive Office of the President. Obama's own phone was not used to send his tweet Monday.
Obama is already following dozens of Twitter accounts, including those of the universities he attended, several Chicago sports teams and multiple administration officials.
Other users welcomed Obama to Twitter:
From user Josh M.: "@POTUS Hey Mr. President! Do world leaders still despise Mondays?"
From Twitter's own official account: "Welcome, Mr. President!"
From Vice President Joe Biden: "Hey @POTUS — Welcome to Twitter. See you around the neighborhood. _vp."
And from first lady Michelle Obama: "It's about time, @POTUS! _mo."
There were a few questions for Obama, too.
New York Times culture reporter Dave Itzkoff sought the president's thoughts on the "Mad Men" finale: "@POTUS So did he actually create the Coke commercial or was it just a metaphor?"