Trump admin posts map of America – but there's one glaring issue with it

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has selected 63 Tribal-led energy projects for more than $125 million in federal funding.

But it was the graphic used to promote the announcement that ended up drawing the most attention.

The image, posted on DOE's official X account, appeared to show the entire United States, with only one thing missing, the state of Vermont.

The post's caption read: "Yesterday, the Energy Department announced major investments towards Tribal communities energy infrastructure that will lower energy costs for Americans!"

As the post picked up more views online, people were quick to flag the error. A community note on X asked simply: “Vermont?”

In the comments, users questioned where the state had gone, and some suggested AI had been used to create the map. The outlet contacted the DOE by email but was not able to confirm whether AI had been involved in making the graphic.

The graphic had been posted to promote a round of funding aimed at Tribal communities, though attention quickly shifted to what was missing from it.

What is in the DOE's Tribal energy funding plan?

The image offered a state-by-state snapshot of planned projects with Alaska and Oklahoma seeing the largest numbers.

The selections, announced on October 22nd, include bringing electricity to Tribal homes that currently don't have it, converting others to natural-gas heating and upgrading infrastructure in communities.

The DOE said the decisions were consistent with President Donald Trump's ‘Unleashing American Energy’ executive order.

The department also said Tribal households face energy costs 28 percent higher than the national average, and that about 17,000 Tribal homes lack electricity.

Which other government maps and graphics have contained errors?

The DOE post is not the first time material linked to the Trump administration has been picked apart online over an error. Several earlier examples, involving a map, a placard and a presidential signature, have emerged in recent months.

In July 2026, a government map of Africa mislabeled every country during a State Department presentation.

In a statement, the State Department said: “We take full responsibility for the confusion and misrepresentation it caused for attendees, including our African partners.”

Months earlier, in December 2025, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth attended a cabinet meeting where a placard listed his role as ‘SSecretary of War’. The typo was quickly noticed and mocked by opponents, including California Governor Gavin Newsom.

The Democrat hinted at a similarity to Nazi Germany's SS, writing on social media at the time: “What does the ‘SS’ stand for? Interesting!”

In September, another spelling error was spotted as the president met with tech executives about artificial intelligence at the White House.

While Trump and a group of tech CEOs and founders signed the president's accord on ‘Super Intelligence’, Trump's signature was labeled ‘President of the Unites States’.