The president of the United States is the president of all the people, as Barack Obama has many times said. But, it would seem, that doesn’t mean he wants to hear from all the people in his Twitter mentions.
CJ Pearson, a 13-year-old black student whose video commentaries against liberalism and the president’s policies have gone viral, learned this lesson the hard way.
Pearson has recently launched a petition to get an interview with President Obama on the White House’s website and was using his Twitter account to garner signatures. Then he discovered the president, or the staffers who run his official @POTUS account, had blocked him.
Well, this sucks. pic.twitter.com/S9jESl5ybi
— CJ Pearson (@thecjpearson) September 23, 2015
Pearson appeared to take the blockage in stride.
It sucks that the handlers of the leader of the free world find it appropriate to block any American. https://t.co/xLdh3Ifs6O — CJ Pearson (@thecjpearson) September 23, 2015
Pearson has been using his Twitter account to vie for a speaking slot at the 2016 Republican convention and has been making progress, having an exchange with GOP chief strategist and communications director Sean Spicer.
Great writeup! Had the opportunity to discuss my goal of speaking at the GOP convention in 2016! Cc: @seanspicer https://t.co/KpeqauLm30
— CJ Pearson (@thecjpearson) September 22, 2015
https://twitter.com/seanspicer/status/646493542383226880
@seanspicer I’d love to! Let me know the best way to reach you and I’ll be in touch! — CJ Pearson (@thecjpearson) September 23, 2015
@seanspicer got it!
— CJ Pearson (@thecjpearson) September 23, 2015
Only a few hours after that exchange, however, Pearson discovered the leader of the free world, against whom he’s a frequent critic, had blocked him.
POTUS, I'm sorry I hurt your feelings.
— CJ Pearson (@thecjpearson) September 23, 2015
Editor’s Note: Recent reports have cast doubt on Pearson’s claim and there’s substantial evidence that the teenager fabricated the original image.