The White House was swiftly fact-checked after posting an AI-generated video featuring President Donald Trump's voice that claims the American Revolution started in 1776.
In the video, Trump can be heard professing that "everything our great nation has achieved" is because of those who fought for it to become "the pinnacle of human civilization and human freedom."
The accompanying post reads:
"The Revolution that began in 1776 has not ended—it still continues, because the flame of Liberty and Independence still burns in the hearts of EVERY American Patriot. And our future will be bigger, better, brighter, bolder, and more glorious than ever before."
You can see it and the video below.
But this couldn't be more wrong.
The American Revolution began on April 19, 1775, with the Battles of Lexington and Concord. In Massachusetts, colonial militia forces defied British authority, clashing with and ultimately repelling the Redcoats, setting in motion a prolonged struggle for independence.
British troops had marched to Lexington and Concord to confiscate colonial weapons and quell unrest. Instead, their mission ignited open conflict. An organized alarm network rallied local militias, allowing them to confront the advancing soldiers.
While historians still debate who fired the first shot, its impact echoed far beyond that day, ushering in eight years of war.
The White House was swiftly called out—not a good look for an administration planning a massive semiquincentennial in just a few short months.
The White House's error came not long after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy was criticized for boasting on X that Trump has the "Best Cabinet since 1776"... seemingly unaware that the first Cabinet wasn't even appointed until years later.
On Sept. 11, 1789, the new federal government put the Constitution’s appointments process into action when President George Washington sent his first cabinet nomination to the United States Senate.
The chamber quickly and unanimously confirmed Alexander Hamilton as Secretary of the Treasury. Hamilton himself had argued strongly for this shared power, believing Senate oversight would help ensure that key offices went to capable officials rather than political favorites.
All of this information is readily available—not that Duffy appears to have ever brushed up on the facts before taking office.
Everyone in the Trump administration needs a lifetime of history lessons.
@JamesTate121/X
