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Trump gave speech in front of hoax presidential seal

The conservative group that organized Tuesday's event says it fired the staffer responsible.
Image: U.S. President Trump stands next to altered presidential seal at Turning Point USA's Teen Student Action Summit in Washington
President Donald Trump takes the stage next to an altered presidential seal prior to a speech at Turning Point USA's Teen Student Action Summit in Washington on July 23, 2019.Jonathan Ernst / Reuters

WASHINGTON — The White House says it didn't know that an altered presidential seal featuring a two-headed eagle clutching golf clubs would be displayed at a speech by President Donald Trump this week.

Spokesman Judd Deere says officials "never saw the seal" before it was projected on a screen behind Trump as he was introduced at Turning Point USA's teen summit on Tuesday. The real seal has a bald eagle clutching arrows in one set of talons and an olive branch in the other.

A spokesman for Turning Point USA told The Washington Post, which first reported on the seal, it fired a video team member for mistakenly displaying the seal.

Deere referred additional questions to Turning Point USA. The conservative group did not immediately return an emailed request for comment Thursday.