US EditionWhite House shares doctored image portraying arrested church protester in tears
- On Thursday, January 22, 2026, the White House's official X account published an image showing Nekima Levy Armstrong sobbing during her arrest, accompanying announcements about arrests tied to a protest at Cities Church, St. Paul, Minnesota.
- Nekima Levy Armstrong led protesters into Cities Church on Sunday chanting `ICE out` and `Justice for Renee Good`, prompting U.S. Attorney Pam Bondi to direct arrests including Armstrong and Chauntyll Louisa Allen.
- Digital-Forensics checks found markers tied to Google AI tools, while Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted a similar photo 30 minutes earlier and Anna Bower questioned its authenticity.
- The altered post remains online, as White House spokespersons confirmed manipulation to CNN, users of X added a community note, and prosecutors warned uncertainty about edits could affect legal credibility.
- The administration's prior use of synthetic images suggests the White House communications accounts follow an AI-heavy approach, with communications scholars like Mike Ananny warning this may erode trust in official visuals.
116 Articles
116 Articles
The White House manipulates the photo of an activist (ANSA)
White House Posts Digitally Altered Photo Of Protester
Source: White House X account / Screenshot Here’s a question: Who is running the White House website and social media accounts? Please tell me it’s not an adult. Please tell me the person or persons who treat the White House’s official digital spaces like they’re common 4chan threads are basement-dwelling teens with the emotional maturity of, well, our current president, and the low IQ of, well, our current president. If they’re grown-ups, they’…
White House Posts Altered Arrest Photo of Minn. Protester
A White House social media post is drawing scrutiny after it used a digitally altered arrest photo of a Minnesota protester to make it appear she was crying. The original image, shared on X by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, shows civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong with a neutral...
Thirty minutes after the original photo was published by the Internal Security Secretariat, the White House published a false picture of the lawyer crying. The official reply: "Memes will continue".
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