The President of the United States Can’t Tell a Falcon From a Bald Eagle, but Hey, He Aced His Cognitive Tests
FYI: Bald Eagles are America's national bird.
On Dec. 30, President Donald Trump logged onto Truth Social with a familiar sense of confidence and a loose relationship with facts. He declared windmills a bald eagle enemy and attached an image of a dead bird for emphasis. But that bird wasn’t a bald eagle, and the image wasn’t even of the United States.
The image Trump used with his message, “Windmills are killing all of our beautiful Bald Eagles!” was actually of a falcon, photographed in Israel in 2017. Even the U.S. Department of Energy re-shared the post on their official X account. But no one in the chain of power paused to ask two basic questions before posting: What bird is this? And where did this picture come from?
One brief look at the turbine in the background of the picture could’ve helped the administration avoid this embarrassment. The markings over it were in Hebrew, clearly suggesting that the picture wasn’t taken anywhere in the United States.
The timestamp on the image was another indicator. It predated Trump’s presidency, marked November 9, 2017. The image originated from a Haaretz report documenting bird deaths at an Israeli wind farm. But even if one overlooks all of that, the worst part was that the bird wasn’t a bald eagle. Anyone who has ever seen a dollar bill confirmed that obvious fact.
Bald eagles and falcons are not interchangeable species. They are distinct, both in appearance and nature. But the president of the strongest country in the world couldn’t tell them apart. California Governor Gavin Newsom summed it up succinctly. He trolled Dozy Don for confusing the national bird with a falcon from another continent. (via Independent)
Users on X also caught all that within minutes. One wrote, “Spreading a 2017 photo of a dead Israeli falcon as proof wind turbines slaughter American bald eagles is peak Trump misinformation.” And truly, it’s hilarious that the Trump administration keeps insisting they’re waging a war on misinformation. Yet, they could not correctly identify a bird before declaring a national emergency.
And remember, this is the same Trump who routinely boasts about “acing” cognitive tests. The same Trump, whose allies insist that he alone possesses unmatched clarity and judgment. Yet here he was, confidently spreading a seven-year-old foreign photo while misidentifying America’s most recognizable symbol. The Department of Energy’s repost is also equally concerning. It suggests either a stunning lack of internal review or a willingness to parrot Trump’s claims without verification.
Surprisingly, even after corrections by community notes and user comments, there’s silence from Trump. No retraction or acknowledgment. He’s simply waiting to move on to the next outrage.
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