October 3, 2018 marked an important day in America (and, no, I'm not talking about Mean Girls day day).
At precisely 2:18 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Americans with cell phones received an emergency alert. The Emergency Alert System (EAS) is a system that broadcasts alerts on televisions and cell phones to alert people of emergencies like AMBER alerts and inclement weather.
But yesterday, a new kind of alert was issued through the EAS. That's right, President Trump utilized the brand-new Presidential Alert feature.
The new Presidential Alert system is actually called the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS). IPAWS is the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) program intended to take national alerts into the 21st century.
It is a way for officials
"to provide the public with life-saving information quickly."
Typically people don't mind if their phone's interrupt their day with inclement weather warnings or descriptions of missing children. However, yesterday was the exception.
While it wasn't technically a text message, Americans are not so sure they like the idea of Trump having the power to personally message them whenever he wants.
The system is only supposed to be used in cases of emergency, and luckily there is a law from 2015 that confirms that. But, of course, Trump seems to think he's above all of that, so who's to say that he won't ignore this law?
Ignoring the law and sending alerts on a whim is exactly what people are worried about.
But the best way to deal with Trump's nonsense is through humor, and this particular Covfefe lent itself perfectly to getting memed.
People imagined what Trump's next alert might say.
Others thought up what they wished Trump would alert us with.
Others decided to take the opportunity to create their own very important Emergency Alert.
But one meme had a very real warning for all.
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social