White House Joins Bluesky, Faces Backlash Over Trump Video

The White House has officially launched its presence on BlueSky, a platform perceived as a liberal alternative to X, previously known as Twitter. In its inaugural post last week, the White House shared a 50-second video montage featuring former President Donald Trump, inviting users with the message, “What’s up, Bluesky? We thought you might’ve missed some of our greatest hits, so we put this together for you.” This lighthearted introduction quickly sparked a wave of criticism from users, many of whom highlighted Trump’s connections to the Jeffrey Epstein files, an issue that continues to haunt him.

Since the initial post, the White House has not shied away from controversy, sharing various memes that accuse Democrats of being responsible for a looming government shutdown. As of now, the White House has garnered nearly 12,000 followers on BlueSky, but it has also faced significant backlash, with over 100,000 users blocking the account. This makes it the second-most blocked account on the platform, trailing only Vice President JD Vance, whose account has been blocked nearly 170,000 times since he joined in June.

Government Agencies Engage in Partisan Rhetoric

The trend of government agencies joining BlueSky has also led to increased scrutiny. Eleven federal departments, including the Department of Transportation, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Agriculture, have made the list of the top 20 most blocked accounts. These agencies have made posts echoing the White House’s narrative, often blaming the Democratic Party for the government shutdown.

For instance, on Sunday, the Department of Agriculture referred to the situation as the “Democrat Shutdown,” suggesting that Democrats are prioritizing healthcare for undocumented immigrants over food security for American families. The department stated, “Because of the Democrat shutdown, there are not enough funds to provide SNAP for 40 million Americans come November 1.” This sentiment reflects a broader narrative being pushed by various government accounts on social media.

The Department of State also joined in, using its first post to assert that the Democratic shutdown is undermining the country on the global stage. The post read, “Hello, Bluesky! We heard this is a great place to have an open and honest dialogue, so we’re here to talk about how the Democrat shutdown is undermining our country on the world stage.”

Legal Implications of Social Media Engagement

Under the Hatch Act, federal agencies are prohibited from engaging in partisan political activities. Many of the posts made by these agencies may raise legal concerns regarding potential violations of this federal law. Just weeks prior, the Trump administration had instructed employees to include messages in their out-of-office replies that blamed Democrats for the government shutdown.

The White House and the Trump administration are not hesitant about utilizing social media. Trump actively posts on his platform, Truth Social, while the White House recently expanded its digital footprint by launching a TikTok account that rapidly gained over 14,000 followers and 21,000 likes within its first hour. Earlier this month, both Trump and Vance initiated their own TikTok channels, further demonstrating their commitment to engaging with the public through various social media platforms.

As the political landscape continues to evolve, the White House’s engagement on BlueSky and the responses it elicits may have implications for both communication strategies and public perception leading into the upcoming election cycle.