White House joins Bluesky and immediately trolls Trump opponents

Key Points

• The White House joined Bluesky, a social media platform popular among left-leaning users, and immediately posted content aimed at amusing Trump critics.
• In its first post, the White House showcased a collection of memes and videos from Trump's earlier administration to "tweak liberals" with a playful tone.
• Despite being smaller than established platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Bluesky has seen a surge in users, particularly after Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter.
• Other governmental departments, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Homeland Security, also launched Bluesky accounts on the same day.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House on Friday joined Bluesky, the social media platform of choice of many in the left-leaning online world.

In its inaugural post, the White House account offered a sizzle reel of the administration's memes, trolls and messages from President Donald Trump’s nine months since returning to office. The post appeared aimed at tweaking liberals who aren’t fans of the Republican president.

The first post included mentions of the administration’s executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico, a doctored image of Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries adorned in a sombrero with a faux mustache, and stream of photos and video from other big moments in the early going of Trump’s second term.

“What’s up, Bluesky?” the White House said in a message accompanying the video. ”We thought you might’ve missed some of our greatest hits, so we put this together for you. Can’t wait to spend more quality time together!”

Disgruntled X users began flocking to Bluesky after billionaire Elon Musk took over Twitter (now known as X) in 2022, and the platform reported a surge in new users late last year.

It remains small compared to more established online spaces such as X, but it has emerged as an alternative for those looking for a different mood.

The Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Homeland Security also launched Bluesky accounts Friday.

Vice President JD Vance joined Bluesky in June.

Trump’s social media platform of choice is Truth Social. Trump is the biggest shareholder in Trump Media & Technology Group, the company that owns Truth Social.