• Senator Joe Biden with his sons Beau, left, and Hunter and his future wife Jill in an undated photo. AFP
    Senator Joe Biden with his sons Beau, left, and Hunter and his future wife Jill in an undated photo. AFP
  • US Senator Joseph Biden, D-Del., announces on September 23, 1987 that he is withdrawing from the race for the 1988 Democratic presidential nomination, as his wife Jill grasps his arm. AFP
    US Senator Joseph Biden, D-Del., announces on September 23, 1987 that he is withdrawing from the race for the 1988 Democratic presidential nomination, as his wife Jill grasps his arm. AFP
  • US Senator Joseph Biden, D-Del., speaks on July 13, 1989 before a House of Representatives panel about flag burning. Biden, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, told House members that his bill to outlaw flag burning was the best way to overcome the Supreme Court ruling which protects the action as a form of free speech. Other lawmakers insisted that only a onstitutional amendment would suffice. AFP
    US Senator Joseph Biden, D-Del., speaks on July 13, 1989 before a House of Representatives panel about flag burning. Biden, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, told House members that his bill to outlaw flag burning was the best way to overcome the Supreme Court ruling which protects the action as a form of free speech. Other lawmakers insisted that only a onstitutional amendment would suffice. AFP
  • Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) speaks to reporters in front of a Danish U.N. armoured personnel carrier at the airport in Sarajevo, Bosnia April 9, 1993. REUTERS
    Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) speaks to reporters in front of a Danish U.N. armoured personnel carrier at the airport in Sarajevo, Bosnia April 9, 1993. REUTERS
  • US Senator Joseph Biden, D-Del., speaks to reporters after meeting with US President Bill Clinton at the White House on February 10, 1995 to discuss Dr. Henry Foster's nomination for surgeon general. Calling Clinton's choice a "political blunder in teh extreme", Biden told reporters that the president should withdraw the nomination and move on. AFP
    US Senator Joseph Biden, D-Del., speaks to reporters after meeting with US President Bill Clinton at the White House on February 10, 1995 to discuss Dr. Henry Foster's nomination for surgeon general. Calling Clinton's choice a "political blunder in teh extreme", Biden told reporters that the president should withdraw the nomination and move on. AFP
  • US President George W. Bush answers reporter's questions prior to a bipartisan meeting with congressional leaders in the Cabinet Room of the White House, 25 July 2001. Listening are Senator Joe Biden D-DE and Senator John Warner (R-VA). AFP
    US President George W. Bush answers reporter's questions prior to a bipartisan meeting with congressional leaders in the Cabinet Room of the White House, 25 July 2001. Listening are Senator Joe Biden D-DE and Senator John Warner (R-VA). AFP
  • US Senators Ted Kennedy (L), D-MA, Joe Biden (C), D-DE, and Barbara Mikulski (R), D-MD, tour ground zero 20 September 2001 in New York, nine days after the destruction of the World Trade Center. AFP
    US Senators Ted Kennedy (L), D-MA, Joe Biden (C), D-DE, and Barbara Mikulski (R), D-MD, tour ground zero 20 September 2001 in New York, nine days after the destruction of the World Trade Center. AFP
  • Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon laughs with Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Senator Joe Biden during a meeting at the US Capitol 11 June 2002. AFP
    Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon laughs with Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Senator Joe Biden during a meeting at the US Capitol 11 June 2002. AFP
  • Colombian President Andres Pastrana is greeted 17 April, 2002, by Sen. Joe Biden, D-DE, chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee at the US Capitol in Washington, DC before Pastrana met with that committee. AFP
    Colombian President Andres Pastrana is greeted 17 April, 2002, by Sen. Joe Biden, D-DE, chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee at the US Capitol in Washington, DC before Pastrana met with that committee. AFP
  • Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri attends a meeting with Sen. Joe Biden, (D-DE), and other members of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee 17 April 2002 at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. AFP
    Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri attends a meeting with Sen. Joe Biden, (D-DE), and other members of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee 17 April 2002 at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. AFP
  • US Senator Joseph Biden Jr. (R-DE) hosts King Abdullah of Jordan and Queen Rania at a Senate Foreign Relations luncheon 08 May, 2002 during their visit to the US Capitol in Washington, DC. AFP
    US Senator Joseph Biden Jr. (R-DE) hosts King Abdullah of Jordan and Queen Rania at a Senate Foreign Relations luncheon 08 May, 2002 during their visit to the US Capitol in Washington, DC. AFP
  • Democratic presidential hopefuls US Senator Joe Biden, US Senator Barack Obama and US Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton arrive at the Democratic Party Presidential Primary Debate, 26 April 2007, at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, South Carolina. AFP
    Democratic presidential hopefuls US Senator Joe Biden, US Senator Barack Obama and US Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton arrive at the Democratic Party Presidential Primary Debate, 26 April 2007, at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, South Carolina. AFP
  • Demoratic Delaware Senator Joe Biden speaking with unidentified soldiers about the effectiveness and life-saving technology of the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle(rear) during a visit to Ramadi, Iraq, 06 September, 2007. AFP
    Demoratic Delaware Senator Joe Biden speaking with unidentified soldiers about the effectiveness and life-saving technology of the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle(rear) during a visit to Ramadi, Iraq, 06 September, 2007. AFP
  • Actress Angelina Jolie, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, and Sen. Joseph Biden ,D-DE, take their seats before a Congressional briefing on Capitol Hill 28 September, 2005 in Washington, DC. AFP
    Actress Angelina Jolie, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, and Sen. Joseph Biden ,D-DE, take their seats before a Congressional briefing on Capitol Hill 28 September, 2005 in Washington, DC. AFP
  • US Democratic presidential candidate Illinois Senator Barack Obama, his wife Michelle, running mate Delware Senator Joe Biden with his wife Jill greet people gathered on the lawn of the Old State Capitol on August 23, 2008 in Springfield, Illinois. AFP
    US Democratic presidential candidate Illinois Senator Barack Obama, his wife Michelle, running mate Delware Senator Joe Biden with his wife Jill greet people gathered on the lawn of the Old State Capitol on August 23, 2008 in Springfield, Illinois. AFP
  • US Vice President Joe R. Biden waits for a meeting with US President Barack Obama and Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the Oval Office of the White House October 22, 2015 in Washington, DC. AFP
    US Vice President Joe R. Biden waits for a meeting with US President Barack Obama and Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the Oval Office of the White House October 22, 2015 in Washington, DC. AFP
  • British Prime Minister David Cameron greets Joe Biden, the Vice President of the United States of America, at the UK ambassador's residence on July 20, 2010 in Washington, DC. AFP
    British Prime Minister David Cameron greets Joe Biden, the Vice President of the United States of America, at the UK ambassador's residence on July 20, 2010 in Washington, DC. AFP
  • US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joseph Biden shakes hands with seven-year-old Gao Shan, the boy Biden proclaimed as the future president of China, during a visit to the village of Yanzikou, north of Beijing, 10 August 2001. AFP
    US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joseph Biden shakes hands with seven-year-old Gao Shan, the boy Biden proclaimed as the future president of China, during a visit to the village of Yanzikou, north of Beijing, 10 August 2001. AFP
  • US President Barack Obama awards Vice President Joe Biden the Presidential Medal of Freedom during a tribute to Biden at the White House in Washington, DC, on January 12, 2017. AFP
    US President Barack Obama awards Vice President Joe Biden the Presidential Medal of Freedom during a tribute to Biden at the White House in Washington, DC, on January 12, 2017. AFP
  • U.S. President Barack Obama, front, embraces U.S. Vice President Joe Biden after his farewell address in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017. Obama blasted "zero-sum" politics as he drew a sharp contrast with his successor in his farewell address Tuesday night, acknowledging that despite his historic election eight years ago his vision for the country will exit the White House with him. Bloomberg
    U.S. President Barack Obama, front, embraces U.S. Vice President Joe Biden after his farewell address in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017. Obama blasted "zero-sum" politics as he drew a sharp contrast with his successor in his farewell address Tuesday night, acknowledging that despite his historic election eight years ago his vision for the country will exit the White House with him. Bloomberg
  • Cindi Leive, Dr. Jill Biden, and Joe Biden speak onstage during Glamour Celebrates 2017 Women Of The Year Live Summit at Brooklyn Museum on November 13, 2017 in New York City. Getty Images
    Cindi Leive, Dr. Jill Biden, and Joe Biden speak onstage during Glamour Celebrates 2017 Women Of The Year Live Summit at Brooklyn Museum on November 13, 2017 in New York City. Getty Images

The Americas

Twitter will hand @POTUS handle to Joe Biden on January 20

Even though President Donald Trump refuses to concede, the social media company says it will hand all White House accounts to the Biden administration

The National

November 21, 2020

  • English
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Twitter will transfer control of the @POTUS account to the Biden administration on January 20 regardless of whether President Donald Trump concedes the election, the company said.

The @POTUS account is the official account of the US President and is separate from Mr Trump's personal @realDonaldTrump account that he also uses to tweet.

"Twitter is actively preparing to support the transition of White House institutional Twitter accounts on January 20, 2021. As we did for the presidential transition in 2017, this process is being done in close consultation with the National Archives and Records," the company told Reuters on Saturday.

Twitter will also hand over other White House institutional accounts, like @FLOTUS, @VP and @whitehouse on inauguration day.

The development was reported earlier by Politico, which said the handover of the @POTUS handle did not require information to be shared between the outgoing Trump team and the team behind President-elect Joe Biden.

Politico also reported that Twitter would meet transition officials of Mr Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris in the coming months to discuss the details of how the new administration would use Twitter.

Mr Biden, who has reached the two-week mark since becoming President-elect, is preparing to take office on January 20.

But Mr Trump has refused to concede the election and is seeking to invalidate or overturn the results through lawsuits and recounts in several states, claiming – without proof – widespread voter fraud.

Mr Trump's team have not yet won any lawsuits to overturn the result.

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