Twitter descended into total chaos Monday afternoon as a government website suggested President Trump's term was coming to an imminent end, and it sounds like it was all because of a rogue staffer.
On Monday afternoon, Twitter users noticed a head-turning biography page for President Trump on the State Department website that declared "Donald J. Trump's term ended on" Jan. 11. Yes, that would be Jan. 11 as in today, more than a week before President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration. The site also claimed Vice President Mike Pence's term was ending Monday.
As Twitter collectively raised its eyebrows and pondered wild theories that Trump would soon announce his resignation, BuzzFeed News came along with more information, reporting that a "disgruntled employee" at the State Department changed the pages. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has now ordered an internal investigation, according to the report.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"It's 100 percent not a hack," a diplomat told BuzzFeed. Links to the page on the State Department website now lead to a message that says "We're sorry, this site is currently experiencing technical difficulties. Please try again in a few moments."
Whoever this disgruntled employee might be, if their goal was to sow chaos, confusion, and plenty of memes that derailed just about everyone's Twitter feed for a good half-hour, well, mission accomplished.
-
Budget-friendly Alpine escapes: the best ski resorts in AustriaThe Week Recommends Expect fewer tourists and plenty of snow in the stunning Austrian Alps
-
Megabatteries are powering up clean energyUnder the radar They can store and release excess energy
-
Crossword: October 21, 2025The Week's daily crossword
-
Hungary’s Krasznahorkai wins Nobel for literatureSpeed Read László Krasznahorkai is the author of acclaimed novels like ‘The Melancholy of Resistance’ and ‘Satantango’
-
Primatologist Jane Goodall dies at 91Speed Read She rose to fame following her groundbreaking field research with chimpanzees
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talkSpeed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
