Woman In AI-Altered Image Posted By White House Says FBI Agent Told Her the Photo Wouldn’t Be Posted On Social Media

The woman whose photograph was digitally altered by the White House said she was told by the FBI agent recording her that the footage would not be used on social media.

Nekima Levy Armstrong joined CNN host Erin Burnett to discuss her arrest for organizing an anti-ICE protest at the Cities Church in St. Paul last week.

Armstrong had been released from custody mere hours before speaking to Burnett, after federal judges found that the prosecutors had failed to establish that Armstrong and other organizers arrested were a flight risk or continued detention was otherwise legally warranted.

Her arrest was the subject of heightened media scrutiny after the White House posted a photo of what appeared to be an upset Armstrong sobbing as an officer escorted her away– an image the White House later confirmed had been digitally altered.

Both the White House’s doctored image and an unedited version posted by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem appear to be screen grabs of footage from the arrest. This footage was likely filmed by an agent taking part in the arrest, based on the angle and other recordings of the event.

“At the time when I questioned the FBI agent about why he was recording, he had a smirk on his face,” said Armstrong.

She told Burnett that the agent filming her told her specifically the footage wouldn’t go on Twitter/X– the exact social media platform where it was later posted by both Noem and the White House.

“So when I asked him about recording, he said, ‘Oh, it’s not going to go on Twitter or anything. I was just asked to record this video,'” said Armstrong. “And so I didn’t find out until we were in federal custody when my husband told me.”

President Donald Trump called for the protesters at the church to be “thrown in jail, or thrown out of the country,” specifically calling out Don Lemon, who livestreamed the demonstration inside the church.

The DOJ has so far been unable to bring charges against Lemon, and on Thursday, a federal magistrate judge refused to sign off on a criminal complaint against him.

Watch above via CNN.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet Newsletter
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!