Trump Administration Alters Public Record: State Dept Deletes Old X Posts
The U.S. Department of State has begun removing older posts from its official X accounts that were published before President Donald Trump returned to office on January 20, 2025. Multiple outlets report the change is underway and that the posts will be taken off public view while being archived internally.
The shift has already drawn criticism from historians, journalists, and transparency advocates who say it breaks with standard practice for maintaining public government records. Removing past posts could make it harder for researchers and the public to trace U.S. diplomatic positions and historical communications over time.
Public posts from before Trump’s second inauguration, dating back through the Biden and Obama administrations, are reportedly being scrubbed from the department’s X feeds. Although the content is said to be preserved internally, older posts will likely only be accessible through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests — a slower, less transparent process.
A State Department spokesperson told Newsweek the policy change is intended to help the agency “speak clearly and with one voice” in advancing current foreign policy priorities, signaling a departure from how federal social media histories were usually handled.
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“Official accounts are one of our most powerful tools for advancing the … goals and messaging of the President, Secretary, and Administration,” the spokesperson said.
The department’s action fits with a broader pattern of federal information removal or revision under the current administration, according to observers tracking policy changes.
Public access advocates warn this could create gaps in the public record that aren’t easily filled without formal requests. Journalists, historians, and rights groups are now watching to see if additional archives will be made searchable without FOIA delays. What happens next in terms of legal challenges or policy adjustments remains to be seen.
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