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| What’s a ‘Covfefe’? Trump Tweet Unites a Bewildered Nation | What’s a ‘Covfefe’? Trump Tweet Unites a Bewildered Nation |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| WASHINGTON — And on the 132nd day, just after midnight, President Trump had at last delivered the nation to something approaching unity — in bewilderment, if nothing else. | WASHINGTON — And on the 132nd day, just after midnight, President Trump had at last delivered the nation to something approaching unity — in bewilderment, if nothing else. |
| The state of our union was … covfefe. | The state of our union was … covfefe. |
| The trouble began, as it so often does, on Twitter, in the early minutes of Wednesday morning. Mr. Trump had something to say. Kind of. | The trouble began, as it so often does, on Twitter, in the early minutes of Wednesday morning. Mr. Trump had something to say. Kind of. |
| “Despite the constant negative press covfefe,” the Twitter post began, at 12:06 a.m., from @realDonaldTrump, the irrepressible internal monologue of his presidency. | “Despite the constant negative press covfefe,” the Twitter post began, at 12:06 a.m., from @realDonaldTrump, the irrepressible internal monologue of his presidency. |
| And that was that. | And that was that. |
| A minute passed. Then another. Then five. | A minute passed. Then another. Then five. |
| Surely he would delete the message. | Surely he would delete the message. |
| Ten. Twenty. It was nearly 12:30 a.m. | Ten. Twenty. It was nearly 12:30 a.m. |
| Forty minutes. An hour. The questions mounted. | Forty minutes. An hour. The questions mounted. |
| Had the president’s lawyers, so eager to curb his stream-of-consciousness missives, tackled the commander in chief under the cover of night? | Had the president’s lawyers, so eager to curb his stream-of-consciousness missives, tackled the commander in chief under the cover of night? |
| Perhaps, some worried aloud, Mr. Trump had experienced a medical episode a quarter of the way through his 140 characters. | Perhaps, some worried aloud, Mr. Trump had experienced a medical episode a quarter of the way through his 140 characters. |
| Or maybe he had simply gazed upon his work, paused and thought: “Yes. Nailed it.” | Or maybe he had simply gazed upon his work, paused and thought: “Yes. Nailed it.” |
| No one at the White House could immediately be reached for comment overnight. | No one at the White House could immediately be reached for comment overnight. |
| But by 1 a.m., the debate had effectively consumed Twitter — or at least a certain segment of insomniac Beltway types, often journalists and political operatives — ascending the list of trending topics. “Of course #covfefe is real word,” wrote @Diane_7A, recalling an invented tragedy once invoked by the Trump White House. “It was coined during the Bowling Green Massacre.” | But by 1 a.m., the debate had effectively consumed Twitter — or at least a certain segment of insomniac Beltway types, often journalists and political operatives — ascending the list of trending topics. “Of course #covfefe is real word,” wrote @Diane_7A, recalling an invented tragedy once invoked by the Trump White House. “It was coined during the Bowling Green Massacre.” |
| “What if this is it,” asked Emily Nussbaum, The New Yorker television critic, after just five minutes. “That is his final tweet & the rest of history stops.” | “What if this is it,” asked Emily Nussbaum, The New Yorker television critic, after just five minutes. “That is his final tweet & the rest of history stops.” |
| Some appeared to temper their whimsy as more sobering news dominated the medium: a huge explosion in Kabul, Afghanistan, leaving dozens dead or wounded. | |
| Yet the instinct to linger was powerful, for those who had glimpsed the initial post, even if they did not seem entirely sure why they were still awake. | Yet the instinct to linger was powerful, for those who had glimpsed the initial post, even if they did not seem entirely sure why they were still awake. |
| “Covfefe,” said Tasneem Raja, a journalist, perhaps chafing at the growing communal giddiness. “There, I participated.” | “Covfefe,” said Tasneem Raja, a journalist, perhaps chafing at the growing communal giddiness. “There, I participated.” |
| Eventually, the jokes lurched into delirium. Twitter users held forth on the former F.B.I. director James Covfefe. They pledged to order a grande covfefe during their next Starbucks runs. They announced they had at last discovered what Bill Murray whispered to Scarlett Johansson at the end of “Lost in Translation.” | Eventually, the jokes lurched into delirium. Twitter users held forth on the former F.B.I. director James Covfefe. They pledged to order a grande covfefe during their next Starbucks runs. They announced they had at last discovered what Bill Murray whispered to Scarlett Johansson at the end of “Lost in Translation.” |
| And as the hour wore on, stragglers turned their lonely eyes to the only account that could save them. “Help, @MerriamWebster,” pleaded Jessica Taylor, a reporter at NPR, one of several to make the request. | And as the hour wore on, stragglers turned their lonely eyes to the only account that could save them. “Help, @MerriamWebster,” pleaded Jessica Taylor, a reporter at NPR, one of several to make the request. |
| The dictionary obliged. | The dictionary obliged. |
| “Wakes up. Checks Twitter. Uh...” it began. “Regrets checking Twitter. Goes back to bed.” | “Wakes up. Checks Twitter. Uh...” it began. “Regrets checking Twitter. Goes back to bed.” |
| Just after 6 a.m., the president resurfaced, finally deleting the Twitter post and tapping out another. | Just after 6 a.m., the president resurfaced, finally deleting the Twitter post and tapping out another. |
| “Who can figure out the true meaning of ‘covfefe’ ???” he wrote. “Enjoy!” | “Who can figure out the true meaning of ‘covfefe’ ???” he wrote. “Enjoy!” |
| Little became clearer in daylight hours. | Little became clearer in daylight hours. |
| Consensus proved elusive — to say nothing of pronunciation guidelines — and the White House appeared disinclined to help. “The president and a small group of people know exactly what he meant,” Sean Spicer, the press secretary, said flatly. He did not elaborate. | |
| But someone else had a theory — the American perhaps most attuned to the power of the president’s Twittering hand. “I thought it was a hidden message,” Hillary Clinton told a crowd in California, “to the Russians.” | But someone else had a theory — the American perhaps most attuned to the power of the president’s Twittering hand. “I thought it was a hidden message,” Hillary Clinton told a crowd in California, “to the Russians.” |