President Donald Trump gave a speech Tuesday in front of a Russia-themed Seal of the President of the United States.
Eagle-eyed observers of the president’s speech to conservative organization Turning Point USA noticed that the seal displayed onscreen behind the president subtly differed from the official seal, as the Washington Post reported Thursday. The seal, on Trump’s right during his speech at the Turning Point summit, featured a version of our national bird with two heads — a symbol that appears on the Russian coat of arms. (RELATED: Charlie Kirk Takes Over Students For Trump, Will Launch GOTV With 1 Million Students)
The double-headed eagle is a heraldic charge historically associated with power and dominion, typically with the power and dominion of an empire. It is extensively used in Eastern European countries and figures prominently on Russia’s coat of arms, as well as the flags of Serbia, Montenegro and Albania.
A podium with the true presidential seal stands in the East Room of the White House, April 18, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Turning Point insists it did not mean to display the seal behind Trump. A TPUSA representative blamed the mistake on the video team for the summit, which was rushed trying to put together the graphics, according to the Washington Post. The group announced Thursday morning that the member of its video team responsible for the gaffe has been fired.
“We did let the individual go,” a Turning Point representative told The Washington Post. “I don’t think it was malicious intent, but nevertheless.” (RELATED: Turning Point USA Guest Booted Off Fox News Segment Apolgizes For Comparing Hillary To Herpes)
The other seal on the screen behind Trump was the correct version, as was a seal on the lectern onstage.
The false version’s eagle also held golf clubs where the true seal’s holds arrows, replacing a symbol of the president’s war-making power with an ostensible joke about our current president’s affinity for golf.
A White House spokesman told the Washington Post they did not see the false seal before Trump gave his speech to the conservative student group.