Photo: Truth Social
On the Truth Social platform, Trump posted an image of a gilded bald eagle—the national symbol of the United States—mounted on the Truman Balcony of the White House. The post was accompanied by the caption: “A golden gift to the White House in honor of its 250th anniversary!” Later, this image also appeared on the social media accounts of the president and the White House.
Soon, journalists and users noticed a number of inconsistencies. According to CNN, the image’s metadata indicates that it was created using Google’s artificial intelligence tools. Furthermore, the shield held by the eagle depicts only 11 stars instead of the traditional 13, which symbolize the original U.S. states, and certain architectural elements of the balcony differ noticeably from the actual building.
Further confirmation came from photographer Andrew Leyden, who posted up-to-date photos of the White House about an hour after the image was published. In those photos, there was no golden sculpture on the balcony.
An inaccuracy was also found in the caption accompanying the post. As USA Today notes, in 2026 the United States will indeed celebrate the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence; however, the White House is significantly younger. Construction began in 1792 and was completed in 1800, so the 250th anniversary of the presidential residence will not occur until 2050.
This is the second time in recent days that Trump’s posts featuring images created by artificial intelligence have become a topic of discussion. Earlier, he posted a digital artwork by artist Ray Simon that combined historical U.S. symbols with futuristic imagery, calling it a “magnificent painting,” even though it was a digital reproduction.
The “golden eagle” story unfolds against the backdrop of Trump’s other initiatives to change the architectural landscape of Washington—ranging from proposals to renovate the White House complex to the creation of new monumental structures. It remains unclear whether the golden eagle was considered a real art project or whether the publication was merely a demonstration of yet another concept created using artificial intelligence.
