Critics ridicule Trump's 'golden gift' for America's 250th: 'Hired Putin as his decorator'
U.S. President Donald Trump gestures as he enters the White House, in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 28, 2026. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno

President Donald Trump was roundly ridiculed on Monday night after he posted a picture of the "golden gift" he plans to give the country for its 250th birthday celebration this week.

Trump posted a picture of a golden eagle attached to the front facade of the White House on his Truth Social feed. The AI-generated eagle is shown holding a red, white, and gold shield surrounded by 11 stars.

"A Golden Gift to the White House for its 250th Birthday Year!" Trump wrote in the post.

Critics of the president shared their reactions on social media.

"Trump's hired Putin as his decorator," Paul Rudnick, a playwright and author, posted on X.

"The traditional 250th anniversary gift is fascism," Melissa Ryan, author of the "CTRL Alt Right Delete" newsletter on Substack, posted on Bluesky.

"Everything else aside, the White House is in fact not 250 years old," Nicholas Handler, an assistant law professor at Texas A&M University, posted on Bluesky.

"It’s gonna be so fun tearing all of this shit down," Keith Edwards, a liberal political commentator, posted on X.

"Okay, but seriously, why does it have eleven stars?" Franklin Leonard, a contributing editor at Vanity Fair, posted on X.

"Cool stuff, very cool," Dave Cavell, a former speechwriter for Kamala Harris, posted on X along with a photo of the golden eagle that was displayed at Nazi rallies.