Donald Trump’s Twitter account faces a new gun in town: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, chief of the World Health Organization.
In recent days, Tedros has been sending out about twice as many tweets as Trump as the two leaders duel it out to control the narrative over the coronavirus pandemic.
Still, it’s David versus Goliath: Trump has 77 million followers, making his account among the 10 most popular on Twitter. Tedros has 1 million, which may be good for a leader of a United Nations institution, though it leaves him in the ranks of the Backstreet Boys or Pamela Anderson.
As controversy surrounds how both leaders are managing the crisis, Twitter has become a battleground for them to justify their positions and rally support. The U.S. president began his attack on the WHO in a 49-word tweet on April 7.
After Trump ordered a halt to U.S. payments to the WHO this week, Tedros retweeted messages of support from Melinda Gates, former President Jimmy Carter and European Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen. He also is highlighting countries and thanking them as they pledge more support.
31,451 in U.S.Most new cases today
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