What is Donald Trump trying to say?

That is the question people around the world are trying answer after the US President posted a bizarre tweet simply saying: "Despite the constant negative press covfefe"

The hashtag #covfefe was the top trending item on Twitter soon after it was posted in the early hours of Wednesday as people tried to work out what he meant.

Is the President trying to use a safe word? Or is it just a typo - the result of one his renowned late-night tweeting sessions?

Mr Trump's tweet was deleted about five hours later - and replaced by a new tweet in which Mr Trump challenged his followers to guess the meaning of the word.


"Who can figure out the true meaning of covfefe ??? Enjoy!" he tweeted.

Who can figure out the true meaning of "covfefe" ??? Enjoy! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2017

But Twitter users had already spent hours trying to do just that.

A mock Google translation of "covfefe" from Russian into English as "I resign" soon appeared, while others used the phrase "Drain the covfefe" - a play on Mr Trump's promise to "drain the swamp" in Washington.

Some tried to work out how it was pronounced - possibilities ranging from cov-fee-fee to cov-feh-fay, but most joked about what the word meant.

James Corden tweeted: "I'm gonna try and go back to sleep now. Everyone stay #covfefe."

I'm gonna try and go back to sleep now. Everyone stay #covfefe — James Corden (@JKCorden) May 31, 2017

When they go low, we covfefe. — billy eichner (@billyeichner) May 31, 2017

Finally figured out what Bill Murray whispered in Scarlett Johansson's ear at the end of "Lost in Translation" #covfefe pic.twitter.com/fDFJUYlEz8 — Jordan VanDina (@Shrimptooth) May 31, 2017

You're all laughing, but perhaps the real Twitter is the covfefe we make along the way. pic.twitter.com/WksVYbYJxA — J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) May 31, 2017

"When they go low, we covfefe," wrote US comedian Billy Eichner.

Actor Josh Gad said: "At this point we're so far down the rabbit hole that Donald Trump is a parody of Alec Baldwin. #covfefe."

While Jimmy Kimmel admitted that "what makes me saddest is that I know I'll never write anything funnier than #covfefe."

goodnight - i am sick of all this fake media vasweiwei — ROSIE (@Rosie) May 31, 2017

When "covfefe" is your activation word. pic.twitter.com/maIwluvKPn — Zach Braff (@zachbraff) May 31, 2017

"If you ever need KGB extraction team to get you out of White House Agent T, just Tweet out 'covfefe.'" — Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) May 31, 2017

"Huh. Well…we know that it's not that his fingers are too big for the keyboard…," wrote actor Will Arnett.

Long-time Trump nemesis Rosie O'Donnell wrote: "hello - donald did u have a stroke - someone check on him - @potus @IvankaTrump - dad has half tweeted about covfefe HE NEEDS HELP -#CHECK".

He definitely dropped the phone down the toilet and now he's got his arm stuck. https://t.co/9Vi0lGlFpQ — Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) May 31, 2017

COVFEFE: Collusion Of Vile Fatuous Evil Fascist Egomaniacs — Rob Reiner (@robreiner) May 31, 2017

Wakes up.

Checks Twitter.

.

.

.

Uh...

.

.

.

📈 Lookups fo...

.

.

.

Regrets checking Twitter.

Goes back to bed. — Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) May 31, 2017

Someone yells stop, goes limp, taps out, the #covfefe is over. pic.twitter.com/wzfUN3h1Rf — Lisa Marino (@L_Marino) May 31, 2017

Ricky Gervais wrote: "He definitely dropped the phone down the toilet and now he's got his arm stuck".

Scrubs actor Zach Braff shared a photo of Jared Kushner, the President's son-in-law, with the caption: "When covfefe is your activation word."

Others though maybe it wasn't a word at all, but an acronym.

"COVFEFE: Collusion Of Vile Fatuous Evil Fascist Egomaniacs," wrote director Rob Reiner.

Huh. Well...we know that it's not that his fingers are too big for the keyboard... https://t.co/uyTTon0Iqa — Will Arnett™ (@arnettwill) May 31, 2017

Me: Wtf is #covfefe and why is everyone tweeting about it?!



[looks it up in urban dictionary]



Me: Aha, makes sense now. pic.twitter.com/9RxSqeUhUa — Mädchen Amick (@madchenamick) May 31, 2017

At this point we're so far down the rabbit hole that Donald Trump is a parody of Alec Baldwin. #Covfefe — Josh Gad (@joshgad) May 31, 2017

Scroll WAY down your feed to experience a pre- #Covfefe world. Things were simpler and less compepe — Jonah Ray Rodrigues (@jonahray) May 31, 2017

"C.uz O.nly V.ery F.ragile E.gos F.ear E.quality," posted the Twitter account of the Women's March.

And finally online dictionary Merriam-Webster and Urban Dictionary decided to try and decipher it.

The Urban Dictionary defined it as: "When you want to say 'coverage' but your hands are too small to hit all the letters on your keyboard."

Merriam-Webster's Twitter account just said: "Wakes up. Checks Twitter. Regrets checking Twitter. Goes back to bed."