COVFEFE Act would preserve Trump's tweets as official statements

[webfact]

COVFEFE Act would preserve Trump's tweets as official statements

 

A late night Tweet is seen from the personal Twitter account of U.S. President Donald Trump, May 31, 2017. The Tweet reads, "Despite the constant negative press covfefe". Donald Trump/Twitter/Handout via REUTERS.

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - From the incomprehensible "covfefe" to a post labelling fired FBI director James Comey a "leaker," President Donald Trump's tweets would be preserved as presidential records if a Democratic lawmaker's proposed COVFEFE Act becomes law.

 

Representative Mike Quigley of Illinois introduced on Monday the "Communications Over Various Feeds Electronically For Engagement" Act that would amend the Presidential Records Act and require the National Archives to store presidential tweets and other social media interactions.

 

"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," Quigley, a member of the House intelligence committee, said in a statement.

 

"Tweets are powerful, and the president must be held accountable for every post."

 

The law would bar the prolifically tweeting president from deleting his posts, as he has sometimes done. This has inspired websites archiving his erased tweets.

 

White House spokesman Sean Spicer said last week that Trump's tweets "are considered official statements by the president of the United States."

 

The White House did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the proposed legislation.

 

Trump, who has more than 32 million followers on Twitter for his 8-year-old personal @realDonaldTrump profile, is known for messages on the social media site that are sometimes riddled with spelling and grammar mistakes.

 

Trump famously sent a tweet at 12:06 a.m. ET (0406 GMT) on May 31 that said: "Despite the constant negative press covfefe." The message remained on the internet for hours, spurring a wave of speculation about what Trump intended to say.

The message was later deleted.

 

Trump's next communication that day at 6:09 a.m. ET (1009 GMT) made light of the tweet, saying: "Who can figure out the true meaning of "covfefe"??? Enjoy!"

 

Spicer, asked at a news briefing at the time whether people should be concerned about the covfefe tweet, said, "no" and added, "I think the president and a small group of people know exactly what he meant." [nL1N1IX1R7

 

(Reporting by David Alexander; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Mary Milliken)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-06-13

[klauskunkel]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Spicer, asked at a news briefing at the time whether people should be concerned about the covfefe tweet, said, "no" and added, "I think the president and a small group of people know exactly what he meant."

"But, are you, Mr. Spicer, part of that exclusive group? And if having exact knowledge of what the President means requires a code key, do you have one? Would you sell yours? To the Russians? Oh, the Russians made the key... Things are becoming clearer it seems."

[dunroaming]

I was always sure that there was a book in Trumps presidency and a film or two.  However the Trump phenomenon will become far more than that and takes the word bizarre to a whole new level!

[stevenl]

I think this is correct. Presidential communications are part of the official records, so the tweets should be there as well.

[eeyang wah]

Bloody right. Hold the idiot accountable for all the stupid things he says, does and tweets. 

[boomerangutang]

Trump's spokespeople are back and forth re; The Divider's tweets.

 

Half the time they claim they're important and reflect the president's outlook.

Other times, when the tweets are obviously foolish, his spokespeople tell us to not take them seriously.

[JHolmesJr]

Tweets are musings, not policy.

 

who's gonna pass this act…the thai visa anti trump brigade?

[ilostmypassword]

2 minutes ago, JHolmesJr said:

Tweets are musings, not policy.

 

who's gonna pass this act…the thai visa anti trump brigade?

"White House spokesman Sean Spicer said last week that Trump's tweets "are considered official statements by the president of the United States."

Not official musings.

Appeals court cites Trump tweets in ruling against travel ban

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday cited a tweet from President Trump in its ruling against the president's travel ban.

The court cited a tweet from earlier this month, in which Trump talked about the necessity of a "travel ban" in the wake of the attack in London.

"That's right, we need a TRAVEL BAN for certain DANGEROUS countries, not some politically correct term that won't help us protect our people!" the president tweeted on June 5.

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/337442-appeals-court-cites-trumps-tweets-in-ruling-against-travel-ban

 

 

[Stargeezr]

Is Donald Tump going down as the Tweety President, or as the Teflon President?  Just wondering, how long he will be in power?  With everyone still mostly against him I doubt that The Donald will last the whole four years.

 

Geezer

[bendejo]

Dear Orange Julius Caesar:

       Are you sure you want all your tweets preserved for posterity?  Or even for a week?

 

When all this is over there is going to be some incredible stuff written about what went on in this White House.  I'm also wondering who, after he's dead, will write the tell-all "Daddy Dearest" book -- my bet at this point is either Tiffany or Barron.  Expect a puffed-up account from loving daughter Ivanka, or from loyal sons Uday and Qusay.

 

It seems that whenever I see WH coverage, with the reporter standing outside the front door, that there is an ambulance parked there, what's up with that?

 

 

Edited June 13, 2017 by bendejo

[F4UCorsair]

I find it extraordinary that an obvious typo has caused so much confusion and consternation on the left.....or maybe I don't find it so at all.

 

For those still wondering, F, E, and R are all close on a standard keyboard.   I'm surprised there wasn't a D in there as well.   Imagine the hand wringing that would have occurred if it had been, COVEDFEDF.  My god.... NO!!!

 

Seriously, a typo causing this much angst???!!!

[boomerangutang]

                        Speaking of 'presidential archives', below is an example of the president's profound ignorance. While prez-elect, he had a phone call with Pakistan's Sharif, Trump blurted the following praise......

 

“fantastic country, fantastic place of fantastic people”
"Pakistanis are one of the most intelligent people," he said. "Your country is amazing."

 

Meanwhile, Pakistan is sentencing young people to death for saying things on social media:

 

                    That's one of the myriad of differences between HRC and Trump.  Hillary knows details of foreign countries and is not a fading violet about speaking up when she sees abuses.  In contrast, Trump is a silver tonged dufus.

[Redline]

On 6/13/2017 at 10:43 PM, JHolmesJr said:

Tweets are musings, not policy.

 

who's gonna pass this act…the thai visa anti trump brigade?

He doesn't need us.  Everyday he takes another shovelful

[Redline]

On 6/14/2017 at 7:02 AM, F4UCorsair said:

I find it extraordinary that an obvious typo has caused so much confusion and consternation on the left.....or maybe I don't find it so at all.

 

For those still wondering, F, E, and R are all close on a standard keyboard.   I'm surprised there wasn't a D in there as well.   Imagine the hand wringing that would have occurred if it had been, COVEDFEDF.  My god.... NO!!!

 

Seriously, a typo causing this much angst???!!!

I'm pretty sure people are joking.  But, you have to admit, it is another example of his carelessness, however insignificant.  Someone babbling and bumbling is hard to take serious, not just him

[Morch]

On 6/14/2017 at 7:02 AM, F4UCorsair said:

I find it extraordinary that an obvious typo has caused so much confusion and consternation on the left.....or maybe I don't find it so at all.

 

For those still wondering, F, E, and R are all close on a standard keyboard.   I'm surprised there wasn't a D in there as well.   Imagine the hand wringing that would have occurred if it had been, COVEDFEDF.  My god.... NO!!!

 

Seriously, a typo causing this much angst???!!!

 

Then the administration could have commented, in response to queries, that it was a typo. Instead, they did what they usually do - gave a silly answer which backfired. The one asserting it had a meaning, and further hyping it as secretive, was Spicer.

Edited June 15, 2017 by Morch

[F4UCorsair]

The left knows no limits when it comes to pettiness.  They are the only ones who made, and continue to make, an issue of it.

If we chose to look, there would be nobody in public life who hasn't overlooked a typo, even before twitter, or become tongue tied when speaking.

It's just plain silly that it's still an issue. 

I'll leave it to the usual suspects to continue the tirade.

 

Edited June 15, 2017 by F4UCorsair

[ilostmypassword]

5 hours ago, F4UCorsair said:

The left knows no limits when it comes to pettiness.  They are the only ones who made, and continue to make, an issue of it.

If we chose to look, there would be nobody in public life who hasn't overlooked a typo, even before twitter, or become tongue tied when speaking.

It's just plain silly that it's still an issue. 

I'll leave it to the usual suspects to continue the tirade.

 

And in any rational administration it would just be laughed off. Sean Spicer does not work in a rational administration.,

[Morch]

8 hours ago, F4UCorsair said:

The left knows no limits when it comes to pettiness.  They are the only ones who made, and continue to make, an issue of it.

If we chose to look, there would be nobody in public life who hasn't overlooked a typo, even before twitter, or become tongue tied when speaking.

It's just plain silly that it's still an issue. 

I'll leave it to the usual suspects to continue the tirade.

 

 

You either don't get it or pretend not to get it.

The original responses were more along the lines of amused and curious. It became an "issue" after Spicer made it into one. There was nothing to stop him from saying it was a typo and telling journalists to focus. Instead....

 

Quote

"The president and a small group of people know exactly what he meant," Spicer responded.

So really, maybe you ought to direct your complaints at the real "usual suspects", them being the incompetent bunch trying to pass themselves as a functioning US administration.

 

Sean Spicer just had the worst possible answer to the "covfefe" question

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/05/31/politics/sean-spicer-press-conference/index.html

 

Sean Spicer says 'covfefe' wasn't a typo: Trump knew 'exactly what he meant'

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2017/05/31/sean-spicer-says-covfefe-wasnt-typo-trump-knew-exactly-what-he-meant/102355728/#

 

Spicer's Razor

https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2017/05/spicers-razor/528750/

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 16, 2017 by Morch

[F4UCorsair]

21 minutes ago, Morch said:

 

You either don't get it or pretend not to get it.

The original responses were more along the lines of amused and curious. It became an "issue" after Spicer made it into one. There was nothing to stop him from saying it was a typo and telling journalists to focus. Instead....

 

So really, maybe you ought to direct your complaints at the real "usual suspects", them being the incompetent bunch trying to pass themselves as a functioning US administration.

 

Sean Spicer just had the worst possible answer to the "covfefe" question

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/05/31/politics/sean-spicer-press-conference/index.html

 

Sean Spicer says 'covfefe' wasn't a typo: Trump knew 'exactly what he meant'

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2017/05/31/sean-spicer-says-covfefe-wasnt-typo-trump-knew-exactly-what-he-meant/102355728/#

 

Spicer's Razor

https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2017/05/spicers-razor/528750/

 

 

 

 

 

But I have No complaints.   The left has complaints.

[ilostmypassword]

4 minutes ago, F4UCorsair said:

But I have No complaints.   The left has complaints.

Maybe you should look up the meaning of the word complaint. And next time you write something read it before you post:

"The left knows no limits when it comes to pettiness.  They are the only ones who made, and continue to make, an issue of it.

If we chose to look, there would be nobody in public life who hasn't overlooked a typo, even before twitter, or become tongue tied when speaking.

It's just plain silly that it's still an issue. 

I'll leave it to the usual suspects to continue the tirade."

[F4UCorsair]

1 hour ago, ilostmypassword said:

Maybe you should look up the meaning of the word complaint. And next time you write something read it before you post:

"The left knows no limits when it comes to pettiness.  They are the only ones who made, and continue to make, an issue of it.

If we chose to look, there would be nobody in public life who hasn't overlooked a typo, even before twitter, or become tongue tied when speaking.

It's just plain silly that it's still an issue. 

I'll leave it to the usual suspects to continue the tirade."

Thanks for the tip......I see no complaint.  

 

Full marks for cutting and pasting correctly.

 

Over and out.

Edited June 16, 2017 by F4UCorsair