President Trump gave a speech with a doctored U.S. presidential seal appearing behind him earlier this week at a Turning Point USA conference.
The seal that appeared behind Trump was notably different from the presidential one. The eagle behind him had two heads instead of one, which appears to mirror the Russian coat of arms and could be a dig at the president’s controversial relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Another difference between the official seal and the one seen behind the president was that golf clubs were clutched in the eagle’s left claw instead of arrows.
The official seal has the motto “e pluribus unum,” which means “out of many, one.” However, the seal behind Trump bore a different message. That one read, “45 es un titere,” which appears to translate from Spanish to mean, “45 is a puppet.”
“It was a last-minute A/V mistake — and I can’t figure out where the breakdown was — but it was a last minute throw-up, and that’s all it was,” a Turning Point USA spokesman told the Washington Post, adding that it was unclear who was to blame or where the image came from.
The young leaders here today (@TPUSA) are part of a movement unlike anything in the history of our nation. It is a movement about reclaiming YOUR future, rebuilding YOUR Country, restoring YOUR destiny, and renewing the values that are the true source of American GREATNESS! pic.twitter.com/unURpLS8Lc
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 24, 2019
UPDATE: CNN reports that an audiovisual employee for TPUSA was let go over the incident. “We’re sorry for the mix-up and meant no disrespect to the White House or the President or the advance team,” a TPUSA source told CNN.
