Puzzling tweet by US president leads, naturally, to madness on the internet

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

If you haven’t looked it up already, don’t bother.

Just after midnight in Washington, Donald Trump tweeted: “Despite the constant negative press covfefe.” That was it. No more. Just that word “covfefe” left hanging there.

Covfefe is a word now. Deal with it | David Shariatmadari Read more

It left many of his 31 million followers on Twitter baffled, and slightly concerned.

Anthony Brian Smith (@AnthonyBLSmith) that was the moment Trump became prsiduvhirw pic.twitter.com/fKVPPNVFH0

The tweet had been active on Trump’s account without comment or clarification overnight and was not deleted until shortly before 6am the following morning. Trump replaced it with a tweet reading: “Who can figure out the true meaning of ‘covfefe’ ??? Enjoy!”

That it had not been immediately deleted was confusing to users who, in the hours between the two tweets, had indeed tried to work out what exactly Trump might have meant.

Clive Thompson (@pomeranian99) Does no one on staff have his password? Have they tried the most common ones? 123456, or 11111, or, like ... "password"?

emily nussbaum (@emilynussbaum) It's been five minutes. What if this is it. That is his final tweet & the rest of history stops.

Ashley Feinberg (@ashleyfeinberg) I was about to go to bed but I guess i have to stare at this covfefe tweet until it goes away now

The Merriam-Webster dictionary, which has a track record of fact-checking Trump’s tweets and neologisms on Twitter, decided to sit this one out.



Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) Wakes up.

Checks Twitter.

.

.

.

Uh...

.

.

.

📈 Lookups fo...

.

.

.

Regrets checking Twitter.

Goes back to bed.

Others suggested the tweet had taken the heat off US comedian Kathy Griffin, who had earlier been under fire for posting a video in which she held a replica of Trump’s severed bloody head.

Victoria Cliett (@VictoriaCliett1) Kathy Griffin: Tonight, I have all of Twitter paying attention to me!@realDonaldTrump: Hold my #covfefe.

Lauren Reeves (@laurenreeves) "Thank god for covfefe." -Kathy Griffin

Erik Brooks (@ChipBrooks17) Congratulations Kathy Griffin. No one cares about you anymore. We have #covfefe now.

Kristina Wong, a US comedian, observed that the domain Covfefe.com had been promptly snapped up.



Kristina Wong ❄️ (@mskristinawong) Goddamit. Someone already bought #Covfefe.com. Probably the Russians. pic.twitter.com/duRrtb41PO

Kristina Wong ❄️ (@mskristinawong) I think #Covfefe is Russian for "Take Jared and spare me." pic.twitter.com/pDpjqX0Cyg

The actor Zach Braff predicted Sean Spicer’s wholehearted defense of the word.

Zach Braff (@zachbraff) "Not only is covfefe a word, it's the greatest word ever uttered." pic.twitter.com/kWhfLrFaKn

“Covfefe” was trending in the US as Twitter rushed to get its gags in.

billy eichner (@billyeichner) When they go low, we covfefe.

Matt Slevinsky (@_MATTATTAK) You used to #covfefe me on my cell phone. pic.twitter.com/rkp5r9XDJ0

Jason Filiatrault (@jfiliatrault) "Nevertheless, she covfefe."

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

Eli Matthewson (@EliMatthewson) *sings* I’M

GONNA SWIIIIIING

FROM THE

COVFEFE-FE

FROM THE COVFEFE-FEEEEEEE

Travon Free (@Travon) Ask your doctor if Covfefe is right for you. pic.twitter.com/XcDAXMNw1m

KimKierkegaardashian (@KimKierkegaard) Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived covfefe

Patrick Monahan (@pattymo) When the covfefe hits pic.twitter.com/onkjuvcuVN

Jesse Singal (@jessesingal) Don't normalize covfefe

Matt '15 (@Aggie_Matt15) Media frantically typing #Covfefe on Google translate to see what it means in Russian. pic.twitter.com/0DubNBvs3C

Trump has been known to tweet on both Android and Apple devices in the past, but the “covfefe” tweet had been sent from the Twitter app on an iPhone.

The news site Axios had reported on Thursday that the president’s current device was an iPhone with only one app: Twitter.

It cited anonymous White House officials who said that limiting screen time was key to “forcing a more disciplined President Trump”, as witnessed on his overseas tour: