President Donald Trump drew scorn from conservatives and liberals alike for a July 4 stumble that threw his patriotism, and his education, into question.
Trump addressed the nation on the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence with stern, and inaccurate, words for his opponents.
"And as our Declaration of Independence tells us," Trump said, "we are all made in the image of one almighty god. And a communist will never say that."
The video clip on X was quickly modified to include readers' added context. That message alerted viewers to the issue.
"The Declaration of Independence does not say 'we are all made in the image of one almighty god,'" the message reads. "It states that 'all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.'"
Viewers were quick to express their frustration with the president.
"Nothing says 'I love America' like misquoting the Declaration of Independence on live TV and then pretending the fake quote proves everyone else hates the country," influencer Khary Penebaker wrote on X.
Alex Nowrasteh, a senior vice president for policy at the conservative think tank Cato Institute, resorted to sarcasm with jab at national conservatives who support Trump.
“Trump may have misquoted the Declaration but that’s ok because the Declaration should have said that," he wrote. "-NatCons, probably."
Matthew Boedy, a professor of rhetoric at the University of North Georgia, urged the president to better his education.
"America in 2026: its president misquotes the Declaration of Independence," Boedy wrote. "Open the civics centers. Just for him."