The Posting POTUS: Where do we draw the line?

By: Morgan Thomas | Opinion Editor   &   Courtney McDonald | Writer

May 24, 2018

With a new court ruling stating that President Trump cannot block critical users on his favorite social media platform, Twitter, a new conversation has started in regards to where the line should be drawn between the people and the state. No other president has formed such a direct connection with American citizens, but now that there are platforms that allow this, the question that many often wonder arises: Is this new change really for the better?   

The historical significance of a president is a complicated one, for the founding fathers developed a governmental system that limited the power that many heads of state often have the power to wield as they please. Although this power can be construed as a negative idea due to the tyrannic implications that are associated with increased, concentrated power, there is a level of symbolism that is vital for a nation’s survival involving a figure that people can look up to for guidance and stability. The role of an American president, however, is more complicated because the president is supposed to be one of the people while still maintaining a professional, mature profile.

For Donald Trump, a individual who has repeatedly shown that he does not follow the rules of a conventional politician, also seems to have trouble holding the position as the face of the country, using Twitter as his outlet for rants and fights, things that does not attract many positive responses from citizens and foreign onlookers alike. With the new decision to ban Trump from blocking his critics, this is a step in the right direction in terms of creating a more profession platform while allowing the media to act as a fourth branch of government as individuals voice their opinions about the controversial president.

Although former President Obama created a POTUS twitter account that Trump could easily use to contact the American people, he chooses to use his own personal one. This causes some issues regarding what the rules should be when he would like to block his critics. However, since the account is better known and gains more attention, his personal account has a larger impact on the American people and should be regarded as his professional account.

As for what San Clemente students think about president and his way of directly communicating with the American public, many seem to condemn it. Eva Gardner, junior, believes that the way Trump uses Twitter as a primary form of communication is “unprofessional, immature, and inappropriate.” Another student, Jamie Holt, junior, added onto this by stating that using Twitter to such a severe extent was “childish,” as President Trump is the United States’ president, not “a teenage girl who calls herself a ‘media influencer.’” Chandler Eldridge, junior,  voiced her opinion on the court ruling, arguing, “I think that’s good because it’s freedom of speech and you can’t just block people because they have a different opinion than you.”

Overall, the issues involving privacy and social media today have skyrocketed for the average person. For the president, that concern has acted as a larger issue because it is the center of attention and the main source of direct contact that Americans can get with the person that is expected to represent them and is supposed to be the most qualified to run the country. If there is not pressure put on the POTUS now to act professionally on social media, then what will become of the presidency all together? The world is still learning to adapt to the technological changes that allows thousands to connect with the push of a button, but there’s no harm in addressing these problems now in hopes of learning from our mistakes. We have to start somewhere, afterall.