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BumRushDaShow

(166,447 posts) Fri Jan 23, 2026, 05:05 AM 13 hrs ago

White House posts an altered photo of Minnesota protester's arrest to make it look like she was crying

Source: CBS News

January 22, 2026 / 5:36 PM EST / CBS News

The White House posted a photo on social media that was digitally altered to make it look like a protester was sobbing as she was arrested in connection with a protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at a Minnesota church.

A photo of Nekima Levy Armstrong's arrest — showing Armstrong with a neutral expression — was first posted on X by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem Thursday morning. The image the White House posted appears the same except Armstrong's altered facial expression shows her distressed, with tears running down her face.

The White House posted the image of Armstrong seemingly crying with a caption calling her "a far-left agitator," roughly 30 minutes after Noem posted the initial image. The altered version was also reposted on X by Vice President JD Vance.

The image on the left, shared by the White House on X, was digitally altered to make it look like Nekima Levy Armstrong was crying during her arrest. The image on the right, posted roughly 30 minutes earlier by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, showed Armstrong with a neutral expression.
CBS News

The White House's post drew a flood of comments from X users, with many saying the image appeared to have been manipulated. In response to CBS News' request for comment on whether the photo was altered, the White House press office sent a link to an X post by White House spokesman Kaelan Dorr referring to the post as a "meme." "Enforcement of the law will continue. The memes will continue. Thank you for your attention to this matter," Dorr said on X.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/white-house-photo-minnesota-protester-arrest-altered-crying/

18 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

White House posts an altered photo of Minnesota protester's arrest to make it look like she was crying (Original Post) BumRushDaShow 13 hrs ago OP

that's some seriously fucked up shyte right there Skittles 13 hrs ago #1

"The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command." chia 12 hrs ago #2

Accuse them of brutality NewEnglandAutumn 11 hrs ago #3

Our "Ministry of Truth" at work, altering the past to control the future. Timeflyer 11 hrs ago #4

Her defense attorney ought to have a "blanking" field day with this maxrandb 10 hrs ago #5

propaganda. barbtries 10 hrs ago #6

Fear of a strong black woman. Jay25 10 hrs ago #7

...Then admitting to it without regrets. JohnnyRingo 10 hrs ago #8

how could viewers tell photo had been manipulated? MadameButterfly 9 hrs ago #9

That's the point BumRushDaShow 9 hrs ago #10

The OP claimed that people on x were saying the photo appeared to be manipulated MadameButterfly 8 hrs ago #11

There are a lot of people on social media BumRushDaShow 7 hrs ago #14

Get it into a pro type paint program and it's easy. Zoom in down to individual pixel level and you can Bengus81 7 hrs ago #15

Thanks MadameButterfly 4 hrs ago #17

A view of the White House post wouldn't have known. Someone who saw both the DHS photo and then the WH photo chia 8 hrs ago #13

You can tell from some of the pixels, and from seeing quite a few shops in your time JoseBalow 5 hrs ago #16

Fake Evidence. Kid Berwyn 8 hrs ago #12

MaddowBlog-White House pushes manipulated image of arrest of Minnesota civil rights attorney LetMyPeopleVote 1 hr ago #18

Skittles

(169,906 posts)

1. that's some seriously fucked up shyte right there

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Fri Jan 23, 2026, 05:08 AM

13 hrs ago

but we know repukes lie, cheat, steal like they breathe

chia

(2,761 posts)

2. "The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command."

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Fri Jan 23, 2026, 05:54 AM

12 hrs ago

NewEnglandAutumn

(263 posts)

3. Accuse them of brutality

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Fri Jan 23, 2026, 07:12 AM

11 hrs ago

use the image as her evidence

Timeflyer

(3,711 posts)

4. Our "Ministry of Truth" at work, altering the past to control the future.

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Fri Jan 23, 2026, 07:27 AM

11 hrs ago

maxrandb

(17,211 posts)

5. Her defense attorney ought to have a "blanking" field day with this

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Fri Jan 23, 2026, 07:56 AM

10 hrs ago

I am not sure this isn't grounds for dismissal with prejudice.

Once dismissed, Ms. Armstrong ought to sue these Nazis for...I don't know...$50B

barbtries

(31,156 posts)

6. propaganda.

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Fri Jan 23, 2026, 08:02 AM

10 hrs ago

it's everything to these FUCKS

Jay25

(435 posts)

7. Fear of a strong black woman.

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Fri Jan 23, 2026, 08:31 AM

10 hrs ago

Posting a fake photo to make her look weak and afraid, like she regretted her actions.
The question is, how much evidence, against whomever, is being altered by this administration? At this point, they can alter a photo (Abrego Garcia,) and put whatever they want in the photo and file charges against anyone. If you don't have a real photo to dispute it, you're screwed?

JohnnyRingo

(20,559 posts)

8. ...Then admitting to it without regrets.

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Fri Jan 23, 2026, 08:41 AM

10 hrs ago

Even stating that it will be normal procedure from now on.
It seems openly rewriting history has become the standard practice within the GOP.

MadameButterfly

(3,811 posts)

9. how could viewers tell photo had been manipulated?

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Fri Jan 23, 2026, 09:16 AM

9 hrs ago

BumRushDaShow

(166,447 posts)

10. That's the point

Reply to MadameButterfly (Reply #9)

Fri Jan 23, 2026, 09:36 AM

9 hrs ago

It's pure, unadulterated propaganda.

It's up to the media and 3rd parties to call it out.

MadameButterfly

(3,811 posts)

11. The OP claimed that people on x were saying the photo appeared to be manipulated

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Reply #10)

Fri Jan 23, 2026, 10:00 AM

8 hrs ago

I just want to understand how one recognizes such a thing. Obviously most of us are clueless, and that is their aim.

BumRushDaShow

(166,447 posts)

14. There are a lot of people on social media

Reply to MadameButterfly (Reply #11)

Fri Jan 23, 2026, 10:54 AM

7 hrs ago

and many (particularly those in MN) may have seen images of the original arrest and then suddenly saw posts with the altered image and called it out.

That's why I said, you have to rely on others calling it out.

Bengus81

(9,902 posts)

15. Get it into a pro type paint program and it's easy. Zoom in down to individual pixel level and you can

Reply to MadameButterfly (Reply #11)

Fri Jan 23, 2026, 10:59 AM

7 hrs ago

easily see where it was altered.

MadameButterfly

(3,811 posts)

17. Thanks

Reply to Bengus81 (Reply #15)

Fri Jan 23, 2026, 01:54 PM

4 hrs ago

chia

(2,761 posts)

13. A view of the White House post wouldn't have known. Someone who saw both the DHS photo and then the WH photo

Reply to MadameButterfly (Reply #9)

Fri Jan 23, 2026, 10:32 AM

8 hrs ago

shortly after might've thought, hey wait... but still must've been paying attention enough to compare images. Most people won't do that.

I first learned of it from the Guardian:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/22/white-house-ice-protest-arrest-altered-image

Who had digitally analyzed both photos and announced that the White House had digitally altered the original DHS photo.

JoseBalow

(9,220 posts)

16. You can tell from some of the pixels, and from seeing quite a few shops in your time

Reply to MadameButterfly (Reply #9)

Fri Jan 23, 2026, 01:15 PM

5 hrs ago

Kid Berwyn

(23,347 posts)

12. Fake Evidence.

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Fri Jan 23, 2026, 10:11 AM

8 hrs ago

Fake Administration.

What’s True: Trump and his enablers are traitors.

LetMyPeopleVote

(175,818 posts)

18. MaddowBlog-White House pushes manipulated image of arrest of Minnesota civil rights attorney

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Fri Jan 23, 2026, 05:38 PM

1 hr ago

As one prominent political scientist summarized, “We are at Stalinesque levels of propaganda.”

Weâ€™re all accustomed to White House deceptions, but pushing an AI-manipulated image â€” and then bragging about it â€” is qualitatively worse than the usual nonsense.

When thereâ€™s no real difference between the White House and your annoying friend on facebook who pushes AI trash, thereâ€™s a problem.
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-01-23T18:15:00.053Z

https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/white-house-pushes-manipulated-image-of-arrest-of-minnesota-civil-rights-attorney

Four days later, federal agents arrested three of those involved with the protest, including a civil rights attorney named Nekima Levy Armstrong.

That the White House celebrated Levy Armstrong’s arrest was not surprising. What mattered, however, is how the White House celebrated the development. The Associated Press reported:

On its official X page, the White House shared an image of Nekima Levy Armstrong that showed her in tears with her arms behind her back, standing in front of someone wearing a badge around their neck.

The problem? Levy Armstrong wasn’t actually crying. The image was manipulated to make the moment more dramatic than it actually was. … The original image, which shows Levy Armstrong with a neutral expression, was altered to make her appear emotional.

A related report in The New York Times noted that the newspaper ran the image through an artificial intelligence detection system that concluded the White House’s version of the photo “showed signs of manipulation.”....

The image of Levy Armstrong was qualitatively different: It was designed to mislead. Don Moynihan, a political scientist at the University of Michigan, noted via Bluesky, “This is the first example I’ve seen of an American government using AI to meaningfully misrepresent actual events with the intent to deceive the public. We are at Stalinesque levels of propaganda.”....

But in 2026, the White House is no better than that annoying guy you went to high school with or that weird uncle who consumes conservative media all day. The president and his team, like your Facebook friends, have no qualms about spreading manipulated content without regard for accuracy.

The difference, of course, is that the White House knows it’s promoting deceptions, contributing to an information landscape in which Americans no longer know who or what to believe.

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