If you’ve noticed that you’re suddenly following Trump or JD Vance on Facebook and Instagram after the inauguration, you’re not alone. Many users were surprised to see these accounts in their feed without actively choosing to follow them. According to Meta, however, this automatic switch is part of a long-standing process tied to official U.S. government accounts.
Meta spokesperson Andy Stone explained the situation in a Threads post, noting that official U.S. government accounts like @POTUS (President of the United States) and @VP (Vice President) are managed by the White House. When a new administration takes office, these accounts are transferred to reflect the new leadership.
“The official POTUS and White House accounts change when the occupant of the White House changes,” Stone said. The same process applies to the vice president and first lady’s official accounts.
For example, when Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States, the official social media accounts previously linked to Joe Biden’s administration were archived. Followers of Biden’s POTUS accounts were automatically moved to the accounts now associated with Trump and his administration.
