The Best Tweets About Trump’s “Presidential Alert” Text that Most of Us Just Received
Photo by Win McNamee/Getty
You may have heard your phone loudly buzz around 2:15 EST today. That was the president texting you. Well, not this specific time. It was FEMA testing the brand new “Presidential Alert” system. But the president can text you if they want to. Per TechCrunch (emphasis mine):
You might have noticed that when you received the alert, it was sent directly over the cellular network. Sending tens of millions of text messages would have ground the cell networks to a halt. Although today’s alert was sent by FEMA, any future presidential alert can be sent solely at the discretion of the president and can be issued for any reason. And, unlike other alerts, Americans can’t opt-out of receiving a presidential alert.
This is fine. I look forward to receiving a 4 am Presidential Alert text that says nothing but “WITCH HUNT!” Twitter lit up like a wildfire the moment everyone’s phones buzzed, and we are here to bring you the good photoshopped content from a platform specifically engineered for sardonic moments like these.
bummer, but fair pic.twitter.com/KpmhkuHQJL
— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) October 3, 2018
The main purpose for Trump’s text was to make sure they translate properly from Russian.
— Darth Putin (@DarthPutinKGB) October 3, 2018
wow you all get this too? pic.twitter.com/P0g4cOcu8A
— avenatti/cuomo 2020 (@JordanUhl) October 3, 2018
— Scary Rob (@robrousseau) October 3, 2018
Now I know everyone who has a cellular telephone. pic.twitter.com/3sZOBBx5eU
— Robert Maguire (@RobertMaguire_) October 3, 2018
just got the weirdest text… #PresidentialAlertpic.twitter.com/UOoD9PHip3
— RickyFTW (@rickyftw) October 3, 2018
Living my best life pic.twitter.com/Fc67OXmumT
— Rocktober believer (@hurryhurryomaha) October 3, 2018
Jesus pic.twitter.com/n2Gg5KUdzh
— Ramp Capital (@RampCapitalLLC) October 3, 2018
This is a test of the presidential alert system. This is only a test. If this has been an actual emergency, you would have been instructed where in your area to find an actual president. Thank you.
— Rick Riordan (@camphalfblood) October 3, 2018
If someone you know didn’t get the alert it means they’re one of the robot people the computers sent to kill us all.
Act accordingly
— Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) October 3, 2018
the sooner you got the alert the higher your number in the secret government ranking of who we most need to survive the apocalypse
— Christopher Mims (@mims) October 3, 2018
[S] ALERT: the president is an asshole.
— Paul and Storm (@paulandstorm) October 3, 2018
My brother just texted me “It’s like an Amber alert except it’s used when someone has abducted your country.”
— Jennifer Mendelsohn (@CleverTitleTK) October 3, 2018
testing a very important alert system. please do not be alarmed. pic.twitter.com/NxN2GJX72a
— Clint Falin (@ClintFalin) October 3, 2018
If you didn’t get the alert it means the government algorithms have ruled you’re expendable
— Alex “Squee” Griswold (@HashtagGriswold) October 3, 2018
Tiffany Trump Receives First Ever Text From Father https://t.co/GRuTbsKfTF
— The Hard Times (@REALpunknews) October 3, 2018
Jacob Weindling is a staff writer for Paste politics. Follow him on Twitter at @Jakeweindling.