New COVFEFE Act seeks to preserve Trump's tweets as presidential-records
What's the story
Last month, President Donald Trump tweeted a misspelled word that just might make its way to America's law books… That's if one witty Democratic lawmaker has his way. Representative Mike Quigley of Illinois has introduced the aptly named COVFEFE Act which seeks to preserve all of Trump's tweets in presidential records. This includes the widely trolled, now (in)famous "covfefe" tweet.
31 May 2017
Trump's 'covfefe' tweet breaks the internet
On May 31, at 12:06 am ET, Trump famously tweeted: "Despite the constant negative press covfefe." The tweet spurred widespread speculation and trolling on what Trump meant by "covfefe," an apparent typo. The tweet was later deleted. White House spokesman Sean Spicer had earlier said Trump's tweets "are considered official statements by the president of the United States."
Details
What the proposed COVFEFE Act entails
Quigley's proposed "Communications Over Various Feeds Electronically For Engagement" (COVFEFE) Act would amend the existing Presidential Records Act. This would require the National Archives to include the US President's tweets and other social media posts. The law would bar Trump from deleting his posts, something he has done in the past. The White House hasn't commented on the proposed legislation.
Twitter fingers
Trump prefers using personal Twitter account, not official @POTUS
The official @POTUS Twitter account was inherited by Trump after he became president. The account was previously used by President Barack Obama to announce policy decisions, White House news and for public diplomacy. Trump prefers using his personal @realDonaldTrump Twitter account to, among other things, attack his opponents and critics, which includes rival Democrats, the judiciary, US allies and enemies etc.
Quote
Quigley justifies need for COVFEFE Act
"If the president is going to take to social media to make sudden public policy proclamations, we must ensure that these statements are documented and preserved for future reference," said Quigley. "Tweets are powerful, and the president must be held accountable for every post."