Trump posts apparent AI-generated image of large, golden eagle affixed to Truman Balcony - CNN

On Monday evening, June 30, 2026, President Donald Trump shared an image on Truth Social depicting a large, golden eagle positioned on the Truman Balcony of the White House. The post, which commemorated the building's 250th birthday year, was subsequently shared by the official White House account on X.

What happened

The image, which featured a bald eagle with outstretched wings and a stars and stripes shield, appeared to be AI-generated rather than a genuine photograph. Discrepancies between the image and the actual Truman Balcony were noted, specifically regarding the balcony's railing. Additionally, the shield depicted in the image contained 11 stars, failing to represent the 13 stars traditionally associated with the original American colonies. Metadata within the file included content credentials indicating the image was created using Google AI. Freelance photographer Andrew Leyden provided further evidence by posting images of the actual balcony taken at 9:30 p.m. that evening, which showed no such eagle structure present. This incident occurs during a period where the President has introduced various gold accents, large medallions, and significant construction projects to the White House grounds, including the demolition of the East Wing for a new ballroom.