The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) tested an alert Wednesday afternoon that would allow President Trump to communicate with you via your cellphone during national emergencies.
FEMA pushed back the test of a national system last month. The test allows "presidential alerts" to hit the majority of cellphones at 2:18 p.m ET. The goal is to warn residents of national emergencies, such as dangerous weather.
The warning system "provides the president with the communications capability to address the nation during a national emergency," FEMA said in a notice posted on its website.
Some cellphone users received a message with a header that reads "Presidential Alert." The text then said: "THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed."
Under federal law, users can opt out of the alerts for "imminent threats" and AMBER alerts about abducted children but "not for presidential messages," FEMA warns.
This marked the first national test of the so-called "wireless emergency alerts." Congress authorized the public safety alert system in 2008. It began operating in 2012 and has been used regionally.
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