Michael Moore, David Hogg Rip Trump’s ‘Presidential Alert’: ‘RESIST!’

Many Twitter users weren’t thrilled with President Trump’s nationwide text

Trump Message

That went about as well as you’d expect.

Moments after President Trump sent out his test “presidential alert” notification to nearly all U.S. cellphones on Wednesday, he was met with a swift thanks but no thanks from thousands of Twitter critics.

The alert was followed by a brief text: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”

The test is meant to be similar to a national Amber Alert in case of a catastrophe — with plans for the test going as far back as the George W. Bush White House when the president called for a national warning system after the U.S. government was criticized for its response to Hurricane Katrina.

But to some of the president’s most vocal critics, it’s an ominous sign Trump can create a “state of emergency,” as “11/9” filmmaker Michael Moore tweeted.

David Hogg tweeted, then deleted that “just wait until Trump comes out with an off switch for all news outlets because ‘fake news’ it’s [sic] to national security.” He then added: “Y’all ever read 1984?”

For others, though, it was another opportunity to mock the president. Jimmy Kimmel shared a joke “alert” he received, warning of a “WITCH HUNT, CROOKED HILLARY, NO COLLUSION, CONFIRM KAVANAUGH, #MAGA.”

https://twitter.com/JenKirkman/status/1047556471372701696

“Star Trek” alum George Takei riffed he thought the alert was “the entire Trump presidency.”

There were plenty of jokes to swift through soon after the alert went out. “Eh I’ve had seen more disruptive presidential alerts on my phone,” New York Times writer Nate Cohn tweeted.

https://twitter.com/lachlan/status/1047551573453406208

You get the idea, but there was at least one pro-Trump tweet in response to the alert from Diamond and Silk.

Sean Burch

Tech reporter • sean.burch@thewrap.com • @SeanB44