The “golden gift” created by artificial intelligence on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the White House
US President Donald Trump on Monday (local time) shared what appears to be an AI-generated image depicting a giant golden bald eagle mounted on the Truman Balcony of the White House, calling it a “golden gift” to mark the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.Trump posted the photo on the Truth Social website, writing: “A golden gift to the White House on the occasion of his 250th birthday!”The photo shows a golden bald eagle with its wings spread across the balcony posts and a shield with the Stars and Stripes attached to the front of the Truman Balcony.
The White House later reposted the photo on its official X account, indicating its support for the presidency.
The image generated by artificial intelligence appears
CNN reported that the photo does not look like a real photo.The network noted that comparison with the real Truman Balcony shows noticeable differences in the architectural details of the fence.She also pointed out that the shield in the picture contains only 11 stars instead of the traditional 13 stars that represent the original American colonies.Image metadata includes content credentials that indicate it was created using Google AI.Freelance photographer Andrew Lyden also posted photos on X that he said were taken around 9:30pm (local time) after Trump shared the photo, which showed the absence of a golden eagle hanging on the White House balcony.
The latest in a series of White House redesigns
The resulting AI concept comes as Trump continues to make visible changes to the White House during his second term.Since returning to office in 2025, Trump has introduced numerous gold accents throughout the Oval Office, installing large coin-shaped medallions across the West Wing and the White House residence, remodeling the Rose Garden, erecting large flagpoles on the North and South Lawns, and ordering the demolition of the East Wing to make way for a new White House ballroom.
Disclosure follows Commemorative US passport
The social media post also comes days after Trump unveiled a redesigned, limited-edition US passport to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary.Sharing the design on Truth Social last week, Trump wrote: “The new USA passport that says: Hello, but be good!”The commemorative passport features a photo of Trump sitting behind the Resolute Desk covered in the text of the Declaration of Independence, while the opposite page displays John Trumbull’s famous painting, The Declaration of Independence.The White House later shared the same passport design on theThe commemorative passport was first announced in April as part of national celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.A US official had previously told CNN that the special edition would initially become the default passport issued by the Washington Passport Agency for eligible in-person renewals, while online applications and other passport centers would continue to issue the standard design.