Whether or not “covfefe” had a meaning, as President Trump and his aides have hinted, it does now.
An Illinois Democratic lawmaker is trolling the Tweeter-in-Chief with the introduction Monday of the “Communications Over Various Feeds Electronically for Engagement” — COVFEFE for short — “Act of 2017.”
According to a statement from Rep. Mike Quigley, a Democrat who represents a North Side Chicago liberal district, the COVFEFE bill would expand the Presidential Records Act to list “social media” as a documentary material, thus requiring that the president’s tweets and other Web postings to be officially archived.
If the bill passes, a president would not be allowed to delete his tweets, as Mr. Trump has been known to do on occasion.
“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,” Mr. Quigley said in a statement. “Tweets are powerful, and the president must be held accountable for every post.”
The bill’s acronym plays off the online frenzy sparked by Mr. Trump’s cryptic midnight tweet May 31, in which Mr. Trump referred to “constant negative press covfefe.” Hours later, the president further stirred the pot by tweeting: “Who can figure out the true meaning of ’covfefe’??? Enjoy!”
White House spokesman Sean Spicer added to the intrigue by implying the “covfefe” in fact did have a secret meaning known only to the president and few aides in the know.
It’s not the first time Mr. Quigley has tweaked Mr. Trump through the legislative process. In March, he introduced the “Making Access Records Available to Lead American Government Openness (MAR-A-LAGO) Act,” requiring visitor logs to the White House and other venues where Mr. Trump conducts business — including his Florida private club retreat — to be publicized.
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