Why Some Instagram Users aren’t able to Unfollow Trump and JD Vance

By Evans Momodu
3 minute digest

A growing number of social media users, including celebrities like singers Demi Lovato and Gracie Abrams, have voiced frustrations over difficulties unfollowing official Instagram accounts tied to President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and First Lady Melania Trump.

Gracie Abrams shared her experience on Instagram, stating that she had to unfollow the @vp and @potus accounts multiple times because they were automatically refollowed by the platform. "How curious!" she wrote, explaining that she resorted to blocking the accounts to avoid further interaction.

Demi Lovato echoed similar sentiments on her Instagram story, writing: “I have unfollowed this guy twice today.”

Other users on social media have issued warnings to unfollow the accounts if they do not support the Trump administration, further amplifying the issue.

Concerns were also raised about Instagram’s search functionality after reports that the hashtag #Democrat was temporarily blocked. Meta spokesperson Andy Stone addressed the issue, clarifying that it was part of a broader technical glitch affecting various hashtags, not solely those associated with one political alignment.

Meta has denied allegations that users were automatically forced to follow Trump administration accounts. According to Andy Stone, the transition of the @potus, @vp, and @flotus accounts is routine with each new administration, and no automatic following occurred.

"People were not made to automatically follow any of the official Facebook or Instagram accounts for the President, Vice President, or First Lady," Stone posted on X (formerly Twitter). "This is the same procedure we followed during the last presidential transition.”

Stone also noted that delays in processing follow and unfollow requests might have contributed to user frustrations as the accounts transitioned.

Despite Meta’s clarification, the incident has fuelled debates about the platform's transparency and functionality during periods of political transition, further amplifying scrutiny of the company's role in digital communication.
Source: CNN