WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says it didn't know that an altered presidential seal featuring a two-headed eagle clutching golf clubs would be displayed at a speech by President Donald Trump this week.
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Spokesman Judd Deere says officials "never saw the seal" before it was projected on a screen behind Trump as he was introduced at Turning Point USA's teen summit on Tuesday. The real seal has a bald eagle clutching arrows in one set of talons and an olive branch in the other.
A spokesman for Turning Point USA told The Washington Post, which first reported on the seal, it fired a video team member for mistakenly displaying the seal.
Deere referred additional questions to Turning Point USA. The conservative group did not immediately return an emailed request for comment Thursday.
The double-headed eagle is a main feature of Russia's national symbol — and its appearance on the design is a dig at Mr. Trump over his alleged ties to the country's systematic efforts to help elect him in the 2016 presidential campaign. The president is also an avid golfer and known for boasting about his wealth before and after becoming a resident in the Oval Office.
President Trump walked on stage in front of a doctored presidential seal - featuring a golfing, two-headed Russian eagle - at a rally https://t.co/VADFCUmRzU pic.twitter.com/IeDbPLOyVY
— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) July 26, 2019According to CBS News, the logo's designer, One Term Donnie, took credit for the work displayed behind Mr. Trump at the event. The page expressed gratitude over the use of the fake presidential seal: "Thank you to whoever the glorious bastard was that put it up behind him. You are either a world class troll or a colossal idiot."
