WASHINGTON, D.C. – Even if President Donald Trump doesn’t concede, the nation’s major social media companies say control of the official White House accounts will be transferred to President-elect Joe Biden when he’s sworn in on Jan. 20.
Throughout his presidency, Trump has relied heavily on websites like Twitter to disseminate information and announce major updates, more than any previous administration.
In a statement obtained by Reuters and CBS News, a Twitter spokesperson said the company is actively preparing to support the transition of the “institutional” accounts on Inauguration Day. Those accounts include @POTUS, @FLOTUS, @VP, and @WhiteHouse.
Existing tweets on these accounts will be archived and the accounts will be reset for the incoming administration, CBS News reports.
The Trump administration regularly posts using these accounts, but the president himself largely uses @realDonaldTrump, which he created before being elected and will likely use after he’s left office.
Reuters also obtained a statement from Facebook, in which the social media giant said it expected to work with Trump administration and the incoming Biden administration to make sure the transition of accounts is seamless on Jan. 20, as it did in 2017.
Trump has still not conceded to Biden and he continues to combat the results of the election in court and online. That's despite Biden winning decisively, with the Associated Press projecting the former vice president getting 306 Electoral College votes, compared to the incumbent’s 232 votes.
