Title: The Mysterious 404 Error and the U.S. Constitution
On January 20, 2025, Donald Trump ascended to the presidency of the United States, promptly rolling out an array of questionable executive orders and shaking up the digital landscape under the Presidential Office. One of the most noteworthy alterations to Trump's digital footprint pertains to the U.S. Constitution. A simple Google search for the Constitution leads to a disconcerting 404 error upon following the link to the White House website.
Before Trump's inauguration, the White House site housed an educational page dedicated to the Constitution and its historical ratification. This information-packed section was readily accessible through the "Our Government" tab – a comprehensive page detailing the U.S. governmental system, including the judicial, executive, and legislative branches, which held a link to the now-vanished Constitution page. Liberal influencer Mercedes Chandler has drawn attention to this anomaly, querying the MAGA movement about this apparent detachment from the Constitution.
Chandler's musings on social media also encompass the executive order issued by Trump, revoking birthright citizenship within U.S. borders since the 19th century's Civil War when the 14th Amendment was ratified. 18 states' Attorneys General filed a lawsuit against the federal government in response to this blatant defiance of the Constitution.
Given the magnitude of online changes, a technical error may have inadvertently deleted the Constitution-related content. However, a thorough search across the revamped White House website fails to turn up any trace of the U.S. Constitution mention, aside from the occasional press release.
Trump's administration also implemented changes to federally controlled websites on January 20, as evidenced by the disappearance of the reproductiverights.gov website. Launched in 2022 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services during Biden's tenure, the site provided information on birth control and abortion services, a topic currently under legal contestation following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization. This site, too, is archived by the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine.
The Trump administration also revamped various social media accounts managed by the Presidential Office, including those on Instagram, Facebook, and lesser-known platforms like Flickr. While Flickr is no longer the hub of activity that it once was, its lesser-known status nevertheless turns it into an intriguing platform where untimely disclosures sometimes surface. For instance, an unforgettable photo of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg shaking hands with Donald Trump in the fall of 2019 was released via Flickr, courtesy of the White House photographer.
In conclusion, the White House website stripped away its Constitution-related information under Donald Trump's presidential term, causing a 404 error when users attempt to access it. Although the Administration initially attributed the issue to temporary glitches during the website development and editing process, a clear reason for the removal or intention behind the move was not provided, leading to speculation among the public.
In the future, tech enthusiasts may question the reasons behind the Trump administration's decision to remove the U.S. Constitution from the White House website, using advanced technology and digital forensics to uncover any hidden data. As technology advances, it becomes increasingly apparent that Trump's administration significantly altered the digital landscape, raising concerns about the future of online accessibility to crucial information like the Constitution.
