In a bold move to extend its digital outreach, the Trump administration recently established a presence on Bluesky, a decentralized social media platform known for its left-leaning user base. On Friday, the White House, along with several federal agencies, launched official accounts and promptly began posting content that criticized Democratic opponents, particularly concerning the ongoing government shutdown.
The White House’s inaugural post featured a compilation of President Trump’s notable moments and internet memes, accompanied by 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 approach was mirrored by other agencies, including the Departments of Homeland Security, Commerce, Transportation, Interior, Health and Human Services, State, and War. Each agency’s account disseminated messages attributing the government shutdown to Democratic actions.
For instance, the Department of State posted: 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 experts have raised concerns that such politically charged statements from government entities may infringe upon the Hatch Act, which restricts federal employees from engaging in certain political activities.
The administration’s posts adopted a tone that blended cheerfulness with trolling, seemingly anticipating and even inviting backlash from Bluesky’s predominantly liberal user community. The response was swift and critical, with many users referencing President Trump’s past associations with controversial figures. Ben Collins, CEO of The Onion, commented: The reason they’re coming after this place is because they can’t control the people on it and it drives them nuts.
In reaction to the influx of government accounts, prominent Bluesky users encouraged their followers to block and move on. Comedian Paul F. Tompkins noted, Weirdly fun to block the White House.
Within 48 hours of joining, the White House’s Bluesky account became one of the platform’s most blocked profiles. Data from ClearSky, a service monitoring Bluesky’s blocking statistics, indicated that approximately 91,000 users had blocked the White House account, while it garnered only about 10,000 followers. The only account facing more blocks belonged to Vice President J.D. Vance, who had joined the platform in June.
Other newly created government accounts also experienced significant blocking. By Sunday morning, these accounts occupied all top five positions for the most blocked profiles in the preceding 24 hours. Additionally, right-wing users boasted about joining Bluesky alongside the administration and being widely blocked, viewing it as a badge of honor.
This development underscores the challenges and complexities of political engagement on social media platforms, especially those with user bases that may not align with the content being promoted. The administration’s foray into Bluesky highlights the evolving landscape of digital political discourse and the varying receptions such efforts can encounter.
