The White House appeared to confirm Thursday that its official X account shared a digitally altered image of Nekima Levy Armstrong, a Minnesota woman arrested for her alleged role in a demonstration at Cities Church in St. Paul over the weekend.
Why It Matters
The White House and Trump administration officials have increasingly shared artificial intelligence–generated images and videos on social media—content critics say can blur the line between fact and fiction and distort public understanding of sensitive events.
The controversy comes as tensions remain elevated in Minnesota following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent on January 7. Armstrong participated in a demonstration in which dozens of protesters entered Cities Church during a Sunday service. The church’s pastor, David Easterwood, is reported to also lead an ICE field office in St. Paul.
What To Know
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem posted a photo at 10:21 a.m. ET Thursday showing Armstrong being escorted by a law enforcement officer whose face was blurred. In the image, Armstrong appears calm.
Noem wrote that Armstrong played a “key role in orchestrating the Church Riots” in St. Paul and added: “religious freedom is the bedrock of the United States – there is no first amendment right to obstruct someone from practicing their religion.”
Roughly 30 minutes later, the White House posted a different version of the same scene—matching the officer, background, and other visible details—but with Armstrong appearing to cry and look distressed. X community notes labeled the White House image “digitally altered.” The post was then amplified by multiple Trump administration officials, including Vice President JD Vance.
When journalists requested comment, outlets including CBS News and The Guardian reported that the White House pointed them to a post from White House Deputy Communications Director Kaelon Dorr. Dorr, who reposted the image, wrote: “YET AGAIN to the people who feel the need to reflexively defend perpetrators of heinous crimes in our country I share with you this message: Enforcement of the law will continue. The memes will continue. Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
What People Are Saying
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on X, in part: “So far, we have arrested Nekima Levy Armstrong, who allegedly played a key role in organizing the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. We will share more updates as they become available. Listen loud and clear: WE DO NOT TOLERATE ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP.”
Noem, on X: “Homeland Security Investigators and FBI agents arrested Nekima Levy Armstrong who played a key role in orchestrating the Church Riots in St. Paul, Minnesota. She is being charged with a federal crime under 18 USC 241. Religious freedom is the bedrock of the United States – there is no first amendment right to obstruct someone from practicing their religion.”
Armstrong, speaking Tuesday: “You cannot lead a congregation while directing an agency whose actions have cost lives and inflicted fear in our communities. When officials protect armed agents, repeatedly refuse meaningful investigation into killings like Renee Good’s, and signal they may pursue peaceful protesters and journalists, that is not justice—it is intimidation.”
