‘An Embarrassment to Our Country’: Kristi Noem’s DHS Doubles Down After Posting Fake AI Video of Black Men That Blew Up in Her Face
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem sparked a political firestorm after the Department of Homeland Security’s official X account posted an AI-generated video of several young Black men alongside a caption threatening Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The message ended with “FAFO,” an acronym for “F— around and find out.” Within hours, critics determined that the clip had been altered and had originally circulated online with an entirely different caption referencing Iran — not federal officers — prompting accusations that DHS had shared a fake and misleading post. U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem is under fire after the department posted a video featuring young black men on social media. (Photos: Getty Images, TikTok/Floridanamedjit) Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, of California, was among the first to call out Noem directly. “Kristi — DELETE THIS TWEET or answer for it in Congress. It’s FAKE,” he wrote on X. “You’re the Queen of Photoshopping.” Swalwell accused Noem of doctoring content and “destroying these kids’ lives over a doctored video.” His post quickly went viral, fueling bipartisan outrage over the government’s apparent use of manipulated content. The controversy stemmed from DHS’ Friday post, which warned: “If you threaten or lay hands on our law enforcement officers we will hunt you down and you will find out, really quick. We’ll see you cowards soon.” The post appeared to be a show of force toward anyone threatening ICE agents — but social media users quickly traced the clip’s origins, finding that the video had nothing to do with immigration or law enforcement. https://twitter.com/DHSgov/status/1979265889599131994 The person believed to have made the original video responded publicly, saying the altered version caught him by surprise. “I saw the caption and I was like, ‘I didn’t do that!’” he said. “I’ve still got the video saved in my drafts on TikTok. Here’s the messed-up part: the federal government is involved with something that I didn’t do.” ‘He Doesn’t Care!’: Trump Unveils His Most Egotistical Project Yet — Then Photos Drop of Massive White House Destruction and People Can’t Believe It The doctored post gained traction after being reshared by Martez Files, a verified account on X, who told his followers: “This is some sick and disgusting sh-t!” In a follow-up, he added more context, writing: “Something lethal just happened. Trump's Homeland Security reposted a young Black man's months-old video altered with AI to change his words from ‘Iran’ to ‘ICE.’ The doctored clip was shared by the Department of Homeland Security's official account with threats that ‘we will hunt you down.’ Now he and his friends are being harassed, doxxed, and targeted by thousands.” “This is the risk of being pro-America: he spoke on behalf of the might of the American military, and now he is being hunted by the very state he endorsed. This is state violence refined and a rehearsal in public persecution. Not fighting Trump is not an option. Fred Hampton told us, ‘School is not important. Work is not important. Nothing is more important than stopping fascism, because fascism will stop us all.’” The original poster of the clip joined the chorus, accusing Homeland Security of “Lying on Black people to incite unnecessary violence? Sounds about white.” https://www.tiktok.com/@mr.floridajhit/video/7518919748587965710 As backlash mounted, DHS doubled down in a follow-up comment. “WE HAVE THE RECEIPTS,” the department wrote in the comments. “This young man posted violent threats of murder against our law enforcement. He then deleted it when he was called out, and attempted to deny all wrong doing. We have the receipts, and the internet is forever. The willful ignorance and intentional blindness by leading Democrats to the massive increase in violent rhetoric against our agents due to their actions is both disgusting and disappointing. Violence against our agents and officers MUST STOP.” Although the video the TikToker points to as the original is very similar, some of the young men are positioned differently in the TikTok video compared to the DHS video. ‘Stop Texting Me Your Bullsh-t Questions’: Karoline Leavitt ‘Goes Back to Middle School’ with Childish Response to Reporter But She Didn’t Expect His Epic Clap Back The controversy landed amid reports that the Department of Homeland Security had recently purchased two luxury Gulfstream private jets for Noem and other senior officials at a cost of $172 million, according to documents reviewed by The New York Times. DHS officials defended the purchase as a safety measure, but critics questioned the timing and optics amid mounting scrutiny of Noem’s spending habits. The Coast Guard had already requested a $50 million Gulfstream V earlier this year to replace an aging aircraft used by Noem. “The avionics are increasingly obsolete, the communications are increasingly unreliable and it’s in need of recapitalization, like much of the rest of the fleet,” Kevin Lunday, the acting commandant of the Coast Guard, told members of Congress at a hearing in May. Reaction to the “FAFO” post was swift. “Cringe to see a government department tweet this like an internet points clout-chasing kid,” one user wrote. Another said, “Purposely spreading a fake-captioned video to put a target on the backs of our own citizens… this is an embarrassment to our country and the American people.” This is not the first time Noem’s department has been accused of misusing social media. Under her leadership, DHS’ online messaging has taken an increasingly combative tone, often mixing official law enforcement updates with memes and politically charged rhetoric. Supporters have praised the approach as “bold” and “unfiltered,” while critics describe it as reckless. Earlier this year, Noem faced similar backlash after promoting a photo of an alleged MS-13 gang member that was later proven to be fake. At the time, she insisted she had “no knowledge” that the image had been doctored. The new uproar over the “FAFO” post has renewed those concerns — and may carry more serious implications. With Swalwell threatening to bring the matter before Congress, questions are growing about whether the DHS’ use of manipulated media could constitute a misuse of federal resources or a violation of federal communication standards. As of Tuesday, Noem and the Department of Homeland Security had yet to remove the post or issue a correction. The video remains live, amassing millions of views and becoming a flashpoint in the debate over how far government agencies should go in waging the culture wars online.
