Even the most meticulous proofreaders make mistakes, but for Republican politicians, spelling errors have often led to national ridicule. Two notable examples involve former President Donald Trump and former Vice-President Dan Quayle.
In a late-night tweet on 31 May 2017, President Trump puzzled the world by writing the word 'covfefe', which is not in any English dictionary. He appeared to have intended 'coverage'. Then-White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer insisted Mr Trump knew 'exactly what he meant', but internet users widely mocked the apparent typo.
Earlier, in 1992, Vice-President Dan Quayle became a laughing stock after judging a spelling contest at a school in Trenton, New Jersey. Reading from an inaccurate answer card, he altered a 12-year-old student's correct spelling of 'potato' to 'potatoe'. Mr Quayle later described his lapse as a 'defining moment of the worst imaginable kind'.
While Mr Trump shrugged off his 'covfefe' gaffe, Mr Quayle was mortified. Both incidents highlight how spelling mistakes can cause lasting embarrassment for public figures.
