Congressman Tries to Get ‘Covfefe’ Signed Into Law (No, Really)

Legislation introduced to preserve Trump’s tweets as part of presidential record

Donald Trump
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Illinois Congressman Mike Quigley introduced legislation on Monday to protect the president’s tweets and social media posts as part of the presidential record.

Officially titled the Communications Over Various Feeds Electronically for Engagement or “COVFEFE” Act, the bill references President Donald Trump’s infamous tweet about “negative press covfefe,” which was roundly mocked on social media for its mysterious and still-unexplained typo.

The bill aims to amend the Presidential Records Act to explicitly include “social media” as “documentary material,” which would ensure the preservation of Trump’s tweets as presidential communication and statements. Trump’s “covfefe” tweet was deleted after several hours.

“In order to maintain public trust in government, elected officials must answer for what they do and say; this includes 140-character tweets,” Quigley said in a statement. “President Trump’s frequent, unfiltered use of his personal Twitter account as a means of official communication is unprecedented.”

“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,” the statement continued. “Tweets are powerful, and the President must be held accountable for every post.”

This marks the second time Quigley used the title of his legislation to take a swipe at Trump. Back in March, Quigley introduced the Making Access Records Available to Lead American Government Openness, or “MAR-A-LAGO” Act, which would mandate that the president make public visitor logs from the White House and Trump’s other resorts.

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