During Monday’s White House press briefing, spokesman Josh Earnest explained that he is unaware of whether or not President Obama reads the tweets that are posted from his verified Twitter account.
“The @BarackObama Twitter handle is maintained by OFA [Organizing For Action], that is the political organization that was the offshoot of the campaign,” Earnest told Jonathan Karl of ABC News, who asked whether the president reads or approves his tweets. “And that is a Twitter handle that is maintained independent of the White House.”
Karl then pressed Earnest on a particular tweet that was sent out after the Supreme Court released its decision on the Hobby Lobby case involving Obamacare’s contraception mandate.
The tweet from @BarackObama read, “Throwback to last week when a woman — not her boss — made her own decisions about her health care. #TBT.”
“Does the president believe that, because of the Hobby Lobby decision, that women are not allowed to make their own decisions about their health care unless they consult with their boss?” the reporter asked.
“The consequence of that Supreme Court ruling is it will allow bosses to interfere with what the president believes should be the freedom that any women has to make her own decisions about her health care,” the press secretary replied.
“So he was aware of that tweet, as far as you know?” Karl followed up.
“I’m not sure if he was aware of that tweet,” admitted Earnest. “Again, because the Twitter handle is maintained independent of the White House, I was not aware of it. But, it sounds like, based on your description, that it is consistent with a priority that the president in this administration has attempted to advance.”
The administration lucked out this time, but what happens when the @BarackObama tweet isn’t “consistent” with Barack Obama? Hopefully it isn’t Anthony Weiner doing the tweeting.
