❓WHAT HAPPENED: The corporate media has been caught using a digitally enhanced and altered photograph of Alex Pretti, the 37-year-old man who was shot and killed during a confrontation with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota, last weekend.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Alex Pretti, MS NOW, Nicole Wallace, and federal immigration agents.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The photo, seemingly altered by a Snapchat-style filter, circulated on social media following Pretti’s death on Saturday, with it being aired by MS Now on Monday.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Donald Trump and his administration are demanding once again that you do not believe your eyes and ears.” — MS NOW anchor Nicole Wallace, while airing a digitally altered photograph of Pretti.
🎯IMPACT: The changes have received widespread pushback on social media, with some commenters likening it to an Instagram “glow-up,” and others speculating the alterations are intentional as part of an effort to turn Americans against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
The corporate media has been caught using a digitally enhanced and altered photograph of Alex Pretti, the 37-year-old man who was shot and killed during a confrontation with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota, last weekend. The enhancements and alterations to Pretti’s nursing staff photo, aired by MS NOW, resulted in a change to his jaw size, added more color to his skin, added more detail to his teeth and beard, similar to a Snapchat-style filter.
During a segment on MS NOW on Monday, anchor Nicole Wallace states, “Donald Trump and his administration are demanding once again that you do not believe your eyes and ears,” while airing the altered photo of Pretti. In addition to airing on MS NOW’s Monday broadcast, the altered photograph also appeared on a digital billboard as part of a tribute ahead of a women’s professional hockey game featuring the New York Sirens versus the Minnesota Frost.
Nicolle Wallace while showing AI-enhanced Pretti photo:
“Donald Trump and his administration are demanding once again that you do not believe your eyes and ears.”
Amazing. pic.twitter.com/dPojKj6QDw
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) January 27, 2026
The changes have received widespread pushback on social media, with some commenters likening it to an Instagram “glow-up,” and others speculating the alterations are intentional as part of an effort to turn Americans against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and CBP agents deployed to Minnesota as part of Operation Metro Surge.
Pretti, an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center, was shot and killed last Saturday after attempting to interfere with an immigration enforcement action. His death sparked violent riots outside a Minneapolis hotel that anti-ICE agitators believed to be housing federal agents.
The National Pulse previously reported that, late Sunday evening, violent leftist protestors laid siege to the front entrance of the Home2 Suites Hotel on University Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Federal agents, hotel security, and several Minneapolis police officers were filmed defending the building’s entrance. However, the local police response appeared sparse, with arrests only being made after a federal law enforcement officer was bloodied from being hit by a projectile.
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