Tweeter-in-chief Obama gets own account

“Hello, Twitter! It’s Barack. Really! Six years in, they’re finally giving me my own account.”

With that inaugural tweet sent from a smartphone in the Oval Office before jumping on Marine One Monday, the president of the United States Barack Obama — or @POTUS — cast off security and bureaucratic chains in place since he was elected.

The account — which already had nearly 150,000 followers in the first half hour — will instantly become one of the world’s top hacking targets, but it will also allow Obama to communicate directly for the first time.

Until now Obama has tweeted through his executive staff @WhiteHouse or the remnants of his campaign staff @BarackObama.

“The @POTUS Twitter account will serve as a new way for President Obama to engage directly with the American people, with tweets coming exclusively from him,” the White House said.

— AFP

Hello, Twitter! It's Barack. Really! Six years in, they're finally giving me my own account.

— President Obama (@POTUS44) May 18, 2015