Pierre Delecto: What Did Mitt Romney's Secret Twitter Account Say?

Mitt Romney has confirmed he is the owner of a secret Twitter account that "lurks" on the social media site following pro-Romney accounts and tweeting in defense of the politician.

"Pierre Delecto" (or user @qaws9876) has now made his account private after the discovery of his identity following an article in The Atlantic by McKay Coppins.

"He explained that he uses a secret Twitter account—"What do they call me, a lurker?"—to keep tabs on the political conversation," the article read.

"I won't give you the name of it," he said, but "I'm following 668 people." Swiping at his tablet, he recited some of the accounts he follows, including journalists, late-night comedians ("What's his name, the big redhead from Boston?"), and athletes."

The article prompted some investigating by Slate's reporter Ashley Feinberg who suggested Romney was the man behind Pierre Delecto. A follow up call by Coppins saw Romney respond simply: "C'est moi."

But prior to the account going private, screenshots were taken of Pierre Delecto's tweets and likes, showing a consistent interest in Romney's politics and life.

The account has sent just 10 tweets during its eight years active, mainly liking tweets from other accounts (including the official Mitt Romney Twitter page). Indeed, the tweets themselves are all responses to other tweets, including one in May adding Romney's name to the list of people defending Senator Richard Burr over the Senate Intelligence Committee's decision to subpoena Donald Trump Jr.

In another tweet, Pierre Delecto responded to a post that suggested Romney had an "utter lack of moral compass" in possibly not endorsing President Donald Trump in 2020.

The Delecto account responded: "Only Republican to hit Trump on Muller report, only one to hit Trump on character time and again, so Soledad, you think he's the one without a moral compass?"

The revelation that Romney maintains a secret Twitter account has users on the social media site discussing the messages written by Delecto as well as the possible reaction from other Republicans including President Donald Trump, who has not yet tweeted on the matter.

"It gives me no pleasure to report that I will be laughing at Trump's first Pierre Delecto tweet," wrote Jon Favreau, former President Barack Obama's speechwriter.

"'Pierre Delecto' sounds like the sort of fake name that DC residents use to buy weed," added journalist Ian Millhiser.