Overview
- Reverse-image searches show the December 30 photo Trump cited was published in Israel in 2017 and depicts a Eurasian kestrel, not a U.S. bald eagle, according to ornithologists quoted by AFP.
- On January 2, Trump posted “Eagles going down!” alongside an image identified by Lead Stories as a European red kite killed in Spain years earlier, marking a second misidentified raptor photo in two days.
- Trump escalated his criticism by claiming turbines kill birds “by the millions,” while research cited by AFP indicates turbine-related deaths represent a tiny fraction of overall bird mortality from human causes.
- An unofficial White House account and the U.S. Department of Energy amplified Trump’s earlier post on X, extending the reach of the misleading claim about turbine-linked eagle deaths.
- The administration has paused five East Coast offshore wind projects and canceled more than $679 million in related funding, with the Interior Department citing national security concerns tied to turbine components and reflections.