What does the State Department know that the rest of us don’t? A lot, actually, but if you went to President Donald Trump’s biography on the department’s website earlier today, it read, “Donald J. Trump’s term ended on 2021-01-11 19:40:41.” That would be 7:40 p.m. EST tonight (the website is currently down with a “this site is currently experiencing technical difficulties” update). Vice President Mike Pence’s biography was equally mysterious: “Michael R. Pence’s term ended on 2021-01-11 19:41:09.” Should we be congratulating Pence for having his term lasting 28 seconds longer than Trump? No. We should be thanking the fed-up staffer for giving us a welcome Monday distraction.
Looks like a State Department staffer has had it https://t.co/oq2kiJSyve
— Hunter Walker (@hunterw) January 11, 2021
BuzzFeed News reports that a “disgruntled employee at the State Department” is behind the update biographies. “[A diplomat] said that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has ordered an internal investigation into the matter, beginning with interns and employees leaving the State Department this week and next ahead of the transition to the Biden administration,” the article reads. This is obviously the biggest issue facing Washington, D.C. right now. But can you blame people for thinking the “term ended” leak was real?
First off, it would be extremely in character for the Trump administration to bungle their own exit. Also, House Democrats introduced an article of impeachment against President Trump earlier today for “inciting a mob that attacked the Capitol last week, vowing to press the charge as Republicans blocked a separate move to formally call on Vice President Mike Pence to strip him of power under the 25th Amendment,” according to the New York Times. Why not speed up the proceedings?
At least the reactions are real, and hilarious.
Today is the day the State Department website became president
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) January 11, 2021
think I figured out what's going on with the State Department https://t.co/Ufdzo9IgN1
— 'Weird Alex' Pareene (@pareene) January 11, 2021
https://twitter.com/GarfieldFanArt/status/1348729877122273280
The State Department staffer who changed Trumps presidential end date pic.twitter.com/QD6TcWSLsw
— Designated Dan (@Designated_Dan) January 11, 2021
BREAKING: The State Department has identified the federal employee responsible for the hack pic.twitter.com/jciGtDnvsr
— KnowNothing (@KnowNothingTV) January 11, 2021
does the state dept know when the winds of winter is coming out
— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) January 11, 2021
Whoa did you guys see the State department website pic.twitter.com/y2ql2Rn7wY
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) January 11, 2021
https://twitter.com/ldrinkh20/status/1348719540872601601
Between now and January 20th, that disgruntled staffer is the President of the United States, it's in the Constitution.
— Emily Nussbaum (@emilynussbaum) January 11, 2021
https://twitter.com/ConnorSouthard/status/1348722537920819200
BREAKING: Jason Derulo has fallen down the stairs of the state department’s website pic.twitter.com/fZlIRJ4lu3
— lexi (@PARTYLEXDOOR) January 11, 2021
Really excited for my first day as webmaster for the US State Department. Now to take a big sip of coffee and see what everybody is talking about
— Brandon Wall (@Walldo) January 11, 2021
https://twitter.com/bafeldman/status/1348723539625570309
me to state department website pic.twitter.com/RJBJkoRaeA
— rat king 🐀 (@MikeIsaac) January 11, 2021
https://twitter.com/Lollardfish/status/1348722334849511424