An estimated 225 million people living in the United States received a message from President Trump on Wednesday afternoon as part of a national emergency alert test.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was testing the system to alert people by text for the first time.
It read: “Presidential Alert. THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
Americans were unable to opt out of the alert system, which could be used in the event of an approaching missile or hurricane.
Of course, though the alert was pretty serious in nature, people on Twitter couldn’t help themselves from making a joke … and some reactions are completely hilarious.
1. This person must have been surrounded by buzzing.
I was in a cell phone store when the #presidentialalert happened.
Hell on Earth.
— A new hope. (@Desmuri) October 3, 2018
2. Some imagined what the nationwide alert should have said.
#PresidentialAlert memes are my new favorite thing haha pic.twitter.com/WuGaXVFUew
— kenzie trikouros (@ktrikouros) October 3, 2018
3. Many were not thrilled by the compulsory message.
NOOOOOOO THE ALERT. IT HAPPENED
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) October 3, 2018
4. Sci-fi dystopia parallels were drawn.
Well that felt very Black Mirror
— Michael Roston (@michaelroston) October 3, 2018
5. Some used the message to joke about the president’s tweets.
anyone else get this message on the #PresidentialAlert ? pic.twitter.com/IaA0pes96P
— rachel (@rachel_bagley) October 3, 2018
6. Ellen DeGeneres got a sweet personalised message.
Well, this was sweet. #PresidentialAlert pic.twitter.com/fxccEzJG6m
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) October 3, 2018
7. This person was hoping for a different text…
when you realize the only boy who texted you on #NationalBoyfriendDay was Donald Trump: pic.twitter.com/4Q50Hp2UuA
— Brian Gay (@brian2596) October 3, 2018
8. Someone made a Harry Potter-themed joke.
#RT @AndrejNkvWell… nice of them to let people know #PresidentialAlert pic.twitter.com/jsPsCMuE4r
— McSpocky™ 👽🖖 (@mcspocky) October 4, 2018
9. Friends fans will enjoy this fake message.
Anyone else get the #PresidentialAlert just now? Seems v important! pic.twitter.com/q4tl3s4XtC
— Louie Aronowitz (@LouieAronowitz) October 3, 2018
10. People were quite jarred by the sudden text.
I saw Presidential Alert trending and thought Trump started Nuclear War.
#PresidentialAlert pic.twitter.com/Wenoj1R0vX
— Cameron Grant (@coolcambackup) October 3, 2018
11. Zoo Miami made their own emergency alert.
⚠️ EMERGENCY ALERT! ⚠️Our adorable baby Pygmy Hippo is taking a bath and it is WAY TOO CUTE!No further action is needed. #PresidentialAlert #ZooMiami pic.twitter.com/CU7UIAVh89
— Zoo Miami (@zoomiami) October 4, 2018
12. Lastly, the barrage of jokes on Twitter might have been too much.
all of us running to twitter with screenshots as soon as that presidential alert went out pic.twitter.com/UbPoBRDgt6
— brittney, but spooky (@brittneyplz) October 3, 2018
The message alert system was intended to be tested in September but was delayed due to Hurricane Florence.