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.
It left many of his 31 million followers on Twitter baffled, and slightly concerned.
that was the moment Trump became prsiduvhirw pic.twitter.com/fKVPPNVFH0
— Anthony Brian Smith (@AnthonyBLSmith) May 31, 2017
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.
Does no one on staff have his password? Have they tried the most common ones? 123456, or 11111, or, like ... "password"?
— Clive Thompson (@pomeranian99) May 31, 2017
It's been five minutes. What if this is it. That is his final tweet & the rest of history stops.
— emily nussbaum (@emilynussbaum) May 31, 2017
I was about to go to bed but I guess i have to stare at this covfefe tweet until it goes away now
— Ashley Feinberg (@ashleyfeinberg) May 31, 2017
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.
Wakes up.
— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) May 31, 2017
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.
Kathy Griffin: Tonight, I have all of Twitter paying attention to me!@realDonaldTrump: Hold my #covfefe.
— Victoria Cliett (@VictoriaCliett1) May 31, 2017
"Thank god for covfefe." -Kathy Griffin
— Lauren Reeves (@laurenreeves) May 31, 2017
Congratulations Kathy Griffin. No one cares about you anymore. We have #covfefe now.
— Erik Brooks (@ChipBrooks17) May 31, 2017
Kristina Wong, a US comedian, observed that the domain Covfefe.com had been promptly snapped up.
Goddamit. Someone already bought #Covfefe.com. Probably the Russians. pic.twitter.com/duRrtb41PO
— Kristina Wong ❄️ (@mskristinawong) May 31, 2017
I think #Covfefe is Russian for "Take Jared and spare me." pic.twitter.com/pDpjqX0Cyg
— Kristina Wong ❄️ (@mskristinawong) May 31, 2017
The actor Zach Braff predicted Sean Spicer’s wholehearted defense of the word.
"Not only is covfefe a word, it's the greatest word ever uttered." pic.twitter.com/kWhfLrFaKn
— Zach Braff (@zachbraff) May 31, 2017
“Covfefe” was trending in the US as Twitter rushed to get its gags in.
When they go low, we covfefe.
— billy eichner (@billyeichner) May 31, 2017
You used to #covfefe me on my cell phone. pic.twitter.com/rkp5r9XDJ0
— Matt Slevinsky (@_MATTATTAK) May 31, 2017
"Nevertheless, she covfefe."
— Jason Filiatrault (@jfiliatrault) 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
*sings* I’M
— Eli Matthewson (@EliMatthewson) May 31, 2017
GONNA SWIIIIIING
FROM THE
COVFEFE-FE
FROM THE COVFEFE-FEEEEEEE
Ask your doctor if Covfefe is right for you. pic.twitter.com/XcDAXMNw1m
— Travon Free (@Travon) May 31, 2017
Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived covfefe
— KimKierkegaardashian (@KimKierkegaard) May 31, 2017
When the covfefe hits pic.twitter.com/onkjuvcuVN
— Patrick Monahan (@pattymo) May 31, 2017
Don't normalize covfefe
— Jesse Singal (@jessesingal) May 31, 2017
Media frantically typing #Covfefe on Google translate to see what it means in Russian. pic.twitter.com/0DubNBvs3C
— Matt '15 (@Aggie_Matt15) May 31, 2017
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:
In Trump’s case, it’s curtailing his time watching TV and banging out tweets on his iPhone. Trump himself has been pushing staff to give him more free time. But staff does everything it can to load up his schedule to keep him from getting worked up watching cable coverage, which often precipitates his tweets. It has worked well overseas so far.
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