When you're the President of the United States, almost anything seems possible, including breaking world records.
That's exactly what President Obama did on Monday, according to Guinness World Records. Obama, who signed up for his own Twitter account (@POTUS) two days ago, racked up 1 million followers in under 5 hours -- a milestone that handily trumps previous record holder Robert Downey Jr., who accomplished the same feat just shy of 24 hours.
Hello, Twitter! It's Barack. Really! Six years in, they're finally giving me my own account.— President Obama (@POTUS) May 18, 2015
This isn't the first time Obama has used Twitter, however. When he's tweeted in the past, the president did so under The White House's handle (@WhiteHouse).
But The White House account, as well as the @BarackObama account, are managed by staffers. Tweets from @POTUS, meanwhile, will come exclusively from the president, the White House promised.
Obama has taken to Twitter another three times since his introductory "Hello, Twitter!" tweet, including two photos snapped of his visit to Camden, NJ and his commencement speech for the Coast Guard class of 2015.
An honor to address the Coast Guard class of 2015. Confident they'll help us meet big challenges like climate change. pic.twitter.com/1z4fteA1YJ— President Obama (@POTUS) May 20, 2015
The president also jokingly replied to Bill Clinton's tongue-in-cheek tweet on Monday welcoming him to the service.
Good question, @billclinton. The handle comes with the house. Know anyone interested in @FLOTUS?— President Obama (@POTUS) May 18, 2015