Trump Defends Infamous 'Covfefe' Tweet as Message That Could Have 'Deep Meaning'

The president's original tweet, an apparent typo of "coverage," sparked numerous jokes and memes

Lest anyone forget one of his most famous — and infamous — tweets, President Donald Trump on Monday decided to defend a 2017 message about “covfefe” as something that possibly has “deep meaning!”

Trump’s original tweet, an apparent typo of “coverage,” sparked numerous jokes and memes and an oblique explanation from the White House.

“The president and a small group of people know exactly what he meant,” then-Press Secretary Sean Spicer insisted after President Trump tweeted on May 30, 2017: “Despite the constant negative press covfefe.”

On Saturday, the conservative news outlet The Daily Caller tweeted about a successful horse named “Covfefe,” named after the president’s post, which the Caller described as a “mistweet.”

Responding to someone else retweeting the Caller’s original post, Trump, 73, wrote on Monday morning: “Great! But how do you know it was a ‘mistweet?’ May be something with deep meaning!”

New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman soon shared reporting of her own: Trump’s top social media aide, Dan Scavino, previously told other aides “that [the] president had fallen asleep doing this tweet,” Haberman wrote later Monday.

BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

It’s not the first time Trump has commented on the widespread mockery of and confusion around his post. A day after first tweeting it in 2017, he wrote, “Who can figure out the true meaning of ‘covfefe’ ??? Enjoy!” (“har har har what a fun prez,” comedian Chelsea Peretti wrote back.)

Elsewhere on Monday, Trump resumed attacking the House of Representatives’ impeachment investigation of his relationship with Ukraine, centered on allegations he withheld American support in order to get Ukraine to investigate his political rivals.

He has fiercely denied wrongdoing even as government officials, testifying before Congress, have reportedly corroborated a broad picture of improper conduct.

“This is just another Democrat Hoax that I have had to live with from the day I got elected (and before!). Disgraceful!” Trump tweeted Monday.

On Saturday, the Times published a lengthy account of the president’s love of Twitter.

“He needs to tweet like we need to eat,” adviser Kellyanne Conway told the paper.