President Barack Obama has sent his final tweets from the @POTUS Twitter handle.
On Inauguration Day, when the outgoing president hands over the White House reins to President-elect Donald Trump, he will also be handing over the Twitter account he has used since 2015 to Trump and his team.
Obama was the first president to have an official Twitter account, so the White House laid out unchartered plans for the Twitter transition, which includes first lady Michelle Obama’s @FLOTUS account. All of President Obama’s tweets will be archived at @POTUS44, and each have their personal accounts for future following.
It’s unclear, however, what exactly Trump will do with the @POTUS account, as he plans on continuing to use his current @realDonaldTrump account, which boasts 20.4 million followers. @POTUS has 13.7 million.
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President Obama’s Friday tweets follow the thank-you note he posted to Facebook yesterday, where he stressed his hopeful “Yes we can” mantra and urged the American people to keep in touch.
When speaking to reporters outside the White House early Friday morning, CNN asked the president if he had any final words for the American people. “Thank you,” he said, with a wave and a smile.
On Twitter, he again stressed that serving as the 44th President of the United States has made him a “better man” and said he will not stop.
“I won’t stop; I’ll be right there with you as a citizen, inspired by your voices of truth and justice, good humor, and love,” he tweeted.
He also encouraged people to share their thoughts with him through his Obama Foundation website.
“I’m still asking you to believe — not in my ability to bring about change, but in yours. I believe in change because I believe in you,” he added.
The Twitter transition occurs after Trump is sworn in at noon ET, when the @POTUS account will be stripped of its previous posts.
See Obama’s final tweets below.
It’s been the honor of my life to serve you. You made me a better leader and a better man.
— President Obama (@POTUS) January 20, 2017
I won’t stop; I’ll be right there with you as a citizen, inspired by your voices of truth and justice, good humor, and love.
— President Obama (@POTUS) January 20, 2017
As we look forward, I want our first steps to reflect what matters most to you. Share your thoughts with me at https://t.co/fGUxlpLVue.
— President Obama (@POTUS) January 20, 2017
I’m still asking you to believe – not in my ability to bring about change, but in yours. I believe in change because I believe in you.
— President Obama (@POTUS) January 20, 2017
