frontpage.
newsnewestaskshowjobs

Made with ♥ by @iamnishanth

Open Source @Github

fp.

Open in hackernews

White House Posts Digitally Altered Image of Woman Arrested After ICE Protest

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/22/white-house-ice-protest-arrest-altered-image
68•TigerUniversity•1h ago

Comments

johannesberlin•1h ago
what is going on in america? it’s starting to look like a social experiment
1attice•58m ago
You know exactly what is going on here. Don't let it happen where you are. Stay safe
greggoB•47m ago
My best interpretation is that the apparent craziness of everything we're seeing reflects the level of how much the social order has really broken down.

We saw similar (albeit somehow tamer by contrast) things in South Africa during the excesses of the State Capture [0] years - people (mostly those complicit in trashing the country) started to do and say bonkers things. Jacob Zuma (like Trump) also acted as a lightning rod for these types of crazy characters. Genuinely sensible members of the public started to fabricate or grasp at wild explanations for what was going on. It took a major toll.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zondo_Commission

treetalker•35m ago
> Asked whether the image had been digitally altered, the White House responded by sending a post on X from Kaelan Dorr, the deputy communications director.

> “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,” he said.

Of note:

- government fabricating (with "AI", read: generative image model) contemporaneous image of arrestee

- when questioned about fabrication, official response refers to deputy communications director's Twitter post

- said tweet ridicules defense of alleged perpetrator — that is, defending criminal defendant, and/or not merely presuming guilt of arrestee

- said tweet indicates that government's memes regarding accuseds (that is, people who have not been tried and convicted by a jury of their peers) will continue

- said tweet parrots Trump's own tweet style

---

Watch this post get flagged and buried despite (1) being about tech (use of generative models in daily life, and by government no less); (2) being news; and (3) being evidence of government's disregard for truth, judicial determination of facts, and constitutional rights.

Also, note the blurring of the separation of church and state: arrest occurred at demonstration against ICE acting field director who also happens to be a church pastor.

Bonkers.