Presidential social media, website transition, too

Silverback Social CEO Chris Dessi described this nation's first transfer of presidential social media accounts as vital to the future of the republic.

"The most tense and potentially catastrophic transfer of power is from one Twitter account to the next," Dessi said. "Because it is just as much of a big deal as the individuals moving into the White House."

President Obama and First Lady Obama peacefully relinquished the @potus and @flotus Twitter handles to President Trump and First Lady Trump Friday afternoon. The Obamas' Tweets are archived at the handles @potus44 and @flotus44. But each tweeted post inauguration from their personal accounts @barackobama and @michelleobama.

"If that transfer didn't happen, it could be even more catastrophic than the transfer of physically moving out of the White House and physically moving into the White House," Dessi said. "That's how powerful this is."

Seemingly everything the Obama administration posted to whitehouse.gov disappeared Friday afternoon. But it remains online in perpetuity at obamawhitehouse.archives.gov just as the bush administration's website exists at georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov.

"The fact that this is even a thing that we're even discussing is so shocking," Dessi said. He argues that shows how vital an entity's digital footprint has become.

trump or some member of his team sent his administration's first tweet from the @potus account around 2:30 p.m., but the 45th president of the United States also continued tweeting from his personal handle within the same hour of taking the oath of office, leading Dessi to wonder how President Trump planned to differentiate the two accounts by brand, content, and tone over the next four years of his presidency.

"I think it's going to be very difficult for him, frankly," Dessi said.