According to a report by The Washington Examiner, President Biden’s social media existence may be costing taxpayers millions of dollars annually.
According to a recent story by CNN, details about staff issues in the White House revealed that more than 70 staffers help create and manage Biden’s social media content. Based on the salary data, the combined cost for those 70 White House staffers is about $6,695,436, not including equipment or other expenses.
According to the social media management platform Hootsuite, the average social media budget for large companies nationwide with more than 50 employees was generally $100,000 in 2021.
According to the reports and the latest budget provided to Congress, it’s unclear which White House staff work directly on social media. Only 38 staffers carry titles, including the terms “press,” “communications,” “media,” or “video.”
Some of the staff known to handle social media interactions carry larger salaries, contributing to the expanded costs of the online presence.
Former press secretary, Jen Psaki, made $180,000 last year. While the new press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, was paid $155,000 last year.
The latest update on staff salaries will be released at the beginning of next month when the White House sends its updated budget to Congress.
According to The Washing Examiner, Biden’s White House staff is much larger than former President Donald Trump’s. The Trump administration’s final report listed 403 paid staffers, 116 fewer than Biden.
Despite a vastly robust staff handling his media relations and social media presence, Biden has come under scrutiny for failing to keep up with important events and details.
The CNN report on White House staff noted that the communications office continues struggling to get Biden’s message to the American people.
Staffers spend their days repeating Biden’s scripted statements on his social media or editing footage of the President filmed behind the scenes and out of public view.
Gone are the days of former President Donald Trump, who paid close attention to his social media profile.