White House Joins Bluesky, Targets Trump Opponents/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ The White House made a striking entrance on Bluesky, posting a satirical video featuring President Trump’s recent highlights. The post playfully mocks liberal critics, sparking buzz across social media. Federal agencies are also expanding their presence on this rising Twitter alternative.
White House Trolls Trump Critics: Bluesky Quick Looks
- The White House officially joined Bluesky on Friday.
- Its first post trolled critics with a Trump-centric highlight reel.
- The post featured memes, doctored images, and executive moments.
- The administration mocked left-leaning users in its launch.
- Other federal departments, like HHS and DHS, joined the same day.
- Bluesky gained traction post-Elon Musk’s Twitter acquisition.
- VP JD Vance joined Bluesky earlier in June.
- Trump remains loyal to Truth Social, where he’s the top stakeholder.
White House Joins Bluesky, Targets Trump Opponents
Deep Look
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump White House made a bombastic digital debut on Bluesky Friday, instantly causing a stir by targeting liberal critics with a sarcastic post highlighting President Donald Trump’s second-term milestones. The social media rollout signals a bold, confrontational approach to online messaging.
The first post on Bluesky, a growing alternative to X (formerly Twitter), was a mashup of satirical content: memes, mocked-up visuals, and brief clips from Trump’s second presidential term. One standout moment featured a fake executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico, underscoring the administration’s unorthodox and often irreverent communication strategy.
Another clip showcased a doctored image of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. The visual depicted Jeffries in a sombrero with a phony mustache, a move clearly meant to provoke and mock Democratic leadership. Additional footage spanned nine months of Trump’s return to the Oval Office, showing campaign-style moments and controversial policy moves.
“What’s up, Bluesky?” the White House post read. “We thought you might’ve missed some of our greatest hits, so we put this together for you. Can’t wait to spend more quality time together!” The tone was brash, unmistakably trolling the progressive user base that dominates the platform.
Bluesky itself rose to popularity after Elon Musk took over Twitter in 2022. Disenchanted users, primarily from the political left, began migrating to Bluesky in large numbers, seeking an alternative social media experience. Though the platform remains smaller in scale than X, it has built a reputation as a haven for progressive thought and anti-establishment sentiment.
Despite its modest size, Bluesky is gaining federal attention. Alongside the White House’s debut, both the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced new official accounts on the platform. This coordinated digital pivot indicates the administration sees value in engaging directly with Bluesky’s audience, even if many there are vocally critical of Trump and his policies.
Vice President JD Vance, a key Trump ally, had already joined Bluesky back in June. His presence, alongside these newly created government accounts, suggests a broader strategy by the administration to shape public discourse across diverse platforms — even those dominated by opposition voices.
While the White House explores new platforms, President Trump remains deeply committed to Truth Social, his own social media venture. He is the principal shareholder of Trump Media & Technology Group, which owns the platform. Truth Social continues to be his preferred outlet for direct communication with his base, unfiltered by mainstream media.
The choice to launch a trolling campaign on Bluesky, a platform known for its progressive leanings, reveals a calculated move by Trump’s communications team. Instead of shying away from ideological opposition, the administration is leaning into the friction, using humor, satire, and controversy to generate attention and dominate headlines.
This move also hints at a shifting strategy in political messaging. No longer confined to traditional press briefings or sanitized media interviews, the Trump administration is embracing the viral, combative nature of meme culture — leveraging it for both policy promotion and political theater.
Ultimately, the White House’s splashy entrance on Bluesky signals a broader trend in American politics: leaders are not just adapting to digital platforms, but actively shaping their culture. Whether this trolling strategy will resonate with broader audiences or backfire remains to be seen, but one thing is clear — the Trump administration knows how to make an entrance.
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