Sen. Dick Durbin Whips Out Poster Of Alex Pretti. Turns Out It’s Fake
Someone in the props department gets fired.
Illinois Democratic Senator Dick Durbin took in the Senate on Wednesday for “condemn the killing of American citizens at the hands of federal immigration agents and demand that the Trump administration take responsibility for its actions,” according to his social media accounts. Durbin used the example of Alex Pretti, the 37-year-old man shot and killed by Border Patrol agents during a fight Saturday. (RELATED: Trump admin places officers involved in Alex Pretti shooting on administrative leave)
“I’m going to show a photo of this scene, which is graphic.” » Durbin said, holding up a large printout. “But I’m afraid it’s necessary to appreciate the horror of the moment. This photo shows the last second before the [Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)] The officer killed Alex Pretti on the streets of Minneapolis.
Democratic Senator Dick Durbin is using the AI-generated image in the Senate to try to depict the events in Minnesota. One of the ICE agents in the photo has no head: pic.twitter.com/p7uGHsD72S
-TheBlaze (@theblaze) January 29, 2026
The only problem is that Durbin’s photo doesn’t show the last second before Pretti’s death. Durbin’s photo appears to have been artificially generated. Otherwise, it would be difficult to explain why one of the “ICE agents” apprehending Pretti has no head. (Also, Pretti was allegedly killed by Border Patrol agents, not an ICE agent.)
It does not appear that Durbin’s office generated the AI image itself. The image went somewhat viral in left-wing circles online following Pretti’s death — A Facebook post published Sunday understand the same image Durbin apparently brought to the Senate, headless law enforcement officer and all. (RELATED: Tom Homan vows not to abandon immigration measures as chaos ensues in Minnesota)
And more AI-generated images of Pretti have proliferated since Saturday. MS NOW featured a photo of Pretti openly edited into a clip, admitting his mistake in the YouTube video’s description: “MS NOW has replaced the original thumbnail image for this video. The previous thumbnail used was an AI-enhanced image of Alex Pretti.
Nurse Alex Pretti, who was killed days ago by an ICE agent during a rally in Minnesota, helped disabled veterans get back on their feet. And there is nothing more to add about the spirit of this man. pic.twitter.com/tJp24Etguy
– Olena Rohoza (@OlenaRohoza) January 28, 2026
Another AI-generated image purports to show Pretti in her nurse outfit, guiding two men with prosthetic legs in physical therapy. Some seem a little desperate to portray Pretti as a boy scout.
Follow Natalie Sandoval on X: @NatSandovalDC
