US lawmaker proposes Covfefe Act to hold Donald Trump accountable for social media posts
The president has used Twitter to make major announcements and scathing statements against the media.
Taking off from United States President Donald Trump’s controversial typo episode on Twitter, Democratic legislator Mike Quigley has proposed the Covfefe Act to hold the commander-in-chief accountable for his statements on Twitter, Reuters reported on Monday. The Illinois representative has suggested that the Presidential Records Act be amended to get the National Archives to document presidential tweets and other social media interactions.
Quigley introduced the Communications Over Various Feeds Electronically For Engagement bill on Monday. On May 31, the Trump had tweeted what appears to be a typo that read, “Despite the constant negative press covfefe.” The tweet was later deleted without any clarification.
“In order to maintain public trust in government, elected officials must answer for what they do and say; this includes 140-character tweets,” a statement by Quigley’s office said. “President Trump’s frequent, unfiltered use of his personal Twitter account as a means of official communication is unprecedented.”
While White House Spokesperson Sean Spicer had said that the president’s tweets should be considered “official statements”, there was no immediate comment on the proposed law, Reuters reported.
“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 said. “Tweets are powerful, and the president must be held accountable for every post.”