Bluesky had one of its first major moments on Thursday, as former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his nomination as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general. The left-leaning social media platform responded in full force — with a flood of jokes and commentary.
This marked the first big news event for Bluesky’s growing community to rally around since Trump’s election victory, which had spurred a surge of new users to the platform.
In case you missed it, the news itself wasn’t exactly a surprise. Gaetz’s withdrawal followed long-standing controversies, including allegations of sexual misconduct and statutory rape involving payments to a minor. While Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing, pointing out that a federal investigation did not result in charges, the cloud of allegations has lingered, as noted by the Associated Press.
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Users on Bluesky were quick to jump on the news, reacting largely through memes and lighthearted commentary. The company itself has indicated it doesn’t have an interest in supporting politicians — unlike X’s Elon Musk devout backing of Trump — and has become the preferred platform for lots of left-leaning folks.
Since the election, the app has surged in popularity, climbing to over 21 million users, up from around 12 million in October. On Thursday, it felt like a significant portion of that growing user base had something to say — many of them with jokes aimed squarely at Gaetz.
There were, of course, plenty of reactions and jokes about Gaetz on X as well. But for Bluesky, this moment felt particularly significant.
Twitter, before it became X, was known as the go-to platform for real-time reactions to breaking news. Bluesky’s ability to step into that role, especially amid its post-election surge in users, signals a major milestone in its evolution as a social media hub.
