The White House is facing scrutiny after its official X account shared an allegedly modified image tied to the arrest of a woman during a protest involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The church protest in Minnesota that preceded Armstrong’s arrest occurred on January 18, when protesters entered a service at Cities Church, prompting federal law enforcement attention and subsequent arrests.
Court records confirming whether formal charges have been filed were not immediately available.
In Secretary Noem’s post, Armstrong appears expressionless, looking slightly to her left as an officer, whose face is blurred, accompanies her.
The new image, overlaid with bold text from the White House describing Armstrong as a “far-left agitator,” appears to include additional visual edits that accentuate facial distress not visible in the original photograph.
“Enforcement of the law will continue. The memes will continue,” Dorr said.
The episode comes as President Donald Trump and his administration have pushed for tougher restrictions on the use of AI-generated or manipulated media, particularly in political contexts.
Decrypt has reached out to the White House press office for comment and will update this story should they respond.
