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USA Today Dragged For Fact-Check Comparing Trump Campaign Eagle To Nazi Imagery

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USA Today caught loads of flak on Twitter after rendering “True” a fact-check on whether or not a Trump campaign T-shirt design featuring an eagle is similar to Nazi imagery.

After several Twitter accounts pointed out what they felt were similarities between the “America First Tee” and the Nazi eagle, USA Today published the fact-check on Saturday.

After acknowledging that the eagle is “widely used in American political imagery,” the outlet described Nazi Germany’s use of the “Imperial Eagle” for its own symbol.

“The T-shirt for sale on the Trump campaign’s website is called the ‘America First Tee,'” USA Today wrote. “The design includes a left-facing eagle, holding a round emblem with the U.S. flag inside and ‘Trump 2020’ in a banner underneath. Forward also reported the eagle was a stock image, based on sleuthing from Twitter. The stock art linked in the Forward article has since been removed.”

USA Today then described “key differences” in the design: “In Trump’s, the eagle holds the American flag up near its chest; the Nazi symbol holds the swastika lower. Trump’s design also features ‘Trump 2020’ below it. The American eagle is also a bald eagle, whereas the Nazi eagle is depicted as an all-black bird.” (RELATED: ‘They Will Not Stop Until Real Blood Is Spilled’: Chris Bedford And Tucker Carlson Discuss The Meaning Of Statue Removals)

Nevertheless, the comparison still earned a “True” rating:

The claims that a Trump campaign T-shirt has come under criticism for using a symbol similar to a Nazi eagle is TRUE, based on our research. But it is worth noting that the eagle is a common symbol in American politics, and is included in the presidential seal of the U.S., as well as many federal departments.

The rating earned the outlet a good degree of hazing on Twitter: