“Democrats can’t find a Smocking Gun tying the Trump campaign to Russia after James Comey’s testimony. No Smocking Gun… No Collusion", Trump wrote on Twitter on Monday, emphasising that there is no “Smocking Gun” with capital letters, starting a new trend on Twitter.
READ MORE: The Mystery of 'Covfefe': Trump Confounds the World With Enigmatic Tweet
….which it was not (but even if it was, it is only a CIVIL CASE, like Obama’s — but it was done correctly by a lawyer and there would not even be a fine. Lawyer’s liability if he made a mistake, not me). Cohen just trying to get his sentence reduced. WITCH HUNT!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 10 декабря 2018 г.
Just hours after Trump’s tweet, searches for the term “smocking gun” and the definition of “smocking” surged. Merriam-Webster dictionary’s Twitter account even had to post a special tweet, explaining that “smocking” meant “a type of embroidery made of many small folds".
— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) 10 декабря 2018 г.
— Mia Farrow (@MiaFarrow) 10 декабря 2018 г.
— Josh Comers (@joshcomers) 10 декабря 2018 г.
— Adam Feldman (@FeldmanAdam) 10 декабря 2018 г.
Some tried to make sense of Trump’s phrase, noting that he might be right.
— James Oliphant (@jamesoliphant) 10 декабря 2018 г.
Others suggested that it could be the great covfefe behind the “smocke”.
— Matt Lech (@MattLech) 10 декабря 2018 г.
— ElChris (@ElChris816) 10 декабря 2018 г.
The president’s supporters tried to speculate about the hidden meaning of the word “smocking” and why it was capitalised.
— Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii) 10 декабря 2018 г.
Yet the most popular suggestions featured reimagining the most "smocking" films — now featuring Trump.
— Lana Moore⚕️ (@LanaMMoore) 11 декабря 2018 г.
— Bryan Dawson (@BryanDawsonUSA) 11 декабря 2018 г.
Trump’s tweets came after federal prosecutors said in court filings that Trump directed his one-time lawyer, Michael Cohen, to commit two felonies by tasking him with making payments to two women who said they had had sex with Trump in an effort to influence the 2016 election by buying their silence. Trump has denied all the allegations, saying that the revelations do not implicate him.
