Nearly four years later, the @POTUS and @WhiteHouse accounts have 33.2 million and 26 million followers, respectively. Trump, a famously prolific tweeter, will retain control of his personal Twitter account, @realDonaldTrump, which has 88.5 million followers on the platform.
“In 2020, Twitter has informed us that as of right now the Biden administration will have to start from zero,” Flaherty said.
Pacilio said in a statement on behalf of Twitter that the multiple White House accounts being transferred “will not automatically retain their existing followers.”
“Instead, Twitter will notify followers of these accounts to provide context that the content will be archived and allow them the choice to follow the Biden administration’s new accounts,” Pacilio said. “For example, people who follow @WhiteHouse will be notified that the account has been archived as @WhiteHouse45 and given the option to follow the new @WhiteHouse account.”
Pacilio did not provide a reason for the change when asked in a follow-up question by CNN.
On January 20, the day Biden will be inaugurated, Twitter will facilitate the transfer of @WhiteHouse, @POTUS, @VP, @FLOTUS, @PressSec, @Cabinet and @LaCasaBlanca to the Biden administration, according to Pacilio.
CNN’s Rishi Iyengar and Seth Fiegerman contributed to this report.