The State Department is scrubbing its X accounts of all posts from before Trump's second term
Source: Engadget
Background
The State Department is wiping the post history of its X accounts and will require a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to access any removed content, according to NPR. The purge targets all posts made before President Trump’s current term, affecting multiple department accounts—including those for U.S. embassies—as well as posts from the Biden and Obama administrations. Posts from Trump’s first term will also be taken down.
State Department’s X Account Cleanup
A State Department spokesperson confirmed to NPR that the removal is intended “to limit confusion on U.S. government policy and to speak with one voice to advance the President, Secretary, and Administration’s goals and messaging. It will preserve history while promoting the present.” The spokesperson described the X accounts as “one of our most powerful tools for advancing the America First goals.”
Unlike past administrations, which have archived removed social‑media content, the Department will not keep a public archive of the deleted posts. Access to the removed material will be possible only through FOIA requests.
Broader Context
The current administration has been actively removing information from government websites. Recent examples include:
- The Trump administration’s broader effort to purge content from official sites.
- The CIA’s unexpected removal of its World Factbook, a global reference guide that had been online since 1997.
For additional reading on related government content removals, see the following articles: