The Republican National Committee (RNC) faced online backlash after sharing an image on Twitter to celebrate Independence Day, featuring an incorrect flag instead of the iconic American flag.
Critics quickly noticed the error and pointed out the image depicted two flags, each with a single star in the blue field and an inaccurate number of stripes. The RNC's attempt to commemorate the national holiday was met with mockery and criticism, prompting the organization to delete the tweet.
However, screenshots of the tweet and similar mistakes made by other entities continue to circulate online.
You can see the image in the tweet below.
You can see the complete image below.
The image used by the RNC, which was sourced from Shutterstock, displayed an erroneous representation of the American flag.
Some critics initially speculated it resembled the flag of Liberia, a country in West Africa, but the alignment of the stripes did not match either flag accurately.
The blunder caught the attention of social media users who mocked the RNC.
It was later discovered that several other organizations, including the San Francisco district attorney's office and the Austin Police Department, also used the same incorrect flags in their Independence Day messages.
At the time of publication, those tweets remained visible on their respective accounts, further amplifying the ridicule directed at the RNC.
For an organization that spends a significant amount of its time and resources criticizing its political opposition for a perceived lack of patriotism, it is startling that the RNC would make such an error in the first place.
Overall, the organization's flag mishap serves as a reminder of the importance of attention to detail and accuracy, especially when representing national symbols on public platforms.