Blunder sees Trump appear with fake presidential seal mocking golf and Russia links
President Donald Trump has accidentally appeared on stage alongside a doctored image of the US presidential seal which seemed to mock his love of golf and the controversy over Russian links.
The version that appeared behind Mr Trump during a speech had the eagle at the centre of the seal carrying a number of golf clubs rather than arrows.
The eagle also had two heads rather than one, bearing a resemblance to Russia's coat of arms, which features the heads of two birds turned away from each other.
The image formed part of the backdrop as Mr Trump took to the stage for a speech to the conservative student group Turning Point USA on Tuesday.
CNN reported that an audiovisual aide for the group had been fired after the blunder, with a source telling the broadcaster that there was “zero malicious intent”.
It was claimed that one of the group’s team had searched on Google for a version of the presidential seal to use for the video display and had accidentally selected the wrong image.
“We're sorry for the mix-up and meant no disrespect to the White House or the President or the advance team," a Turning Point USA source told CNN.
Seeking the origins of the fake seal, The Washington Post found a website that sells merchandise with the doctored image.
In those versions the seal is accompanied with the words “45 es un títere,” which in Spanish translates to “45 is a puppet”. Mr Trump is America’s 45th president.
The words inscribed on the real presidential seal are “E pluribus unum”, the American motto which means “out of many, one”.
The fake seal appears to be joking about the fact that Mr Trump has spent more than 150 days at golf courses he owns since taking office.
His campaign’s ties to the Kremlin have also been investigated by a special counsel and overshadowed much of the early Trump presidency. No criminal conspiracy was found.
A White House official told CNN they had not seen the seal before it appeared at Tuesday’s event.
