DHS, under Kristi Noem, posted a doctored video of Black teenagers and was called out by Rep. Eric Swalwell.
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Executive summary
The Department of Homeland Security’s official social account reposted a clip of Black youths with an altered caption that many outlets and users called “doctored,” and Representative Eric Swalwell publicly demanded Secretary Kristi Noem delete the post or explain it to Congress [1][2][3]. The episode touched off bipartisan outrage, raised questions about DHS social‑media practices under Noem, and prompted debate over whether a federal agency knowingly shared manipulated content that put private citizens at risk [4][5].
1. What happened, in plain terms
DHS’s official X account shared a TikTok clip showing several young Black men with an on‑screen message implying a threat to ICE; researchers and social‑media users quickly flagged that the same video had circulated previously with a different caption referencing Iran, leading critics to call the DHS post “fake” or “doctored” [2][5][6]. Representative Eric Swalwell singled out Secretary Noem, tweeting “Kristi — DELETE THIS TWEET or answer for it in Congress. It’s FAKE,” and accused her of “photoshopping” and harming the teenagers’ lives; that post was widely circulated and later deleted [3][7].
2. Evidence and provenance of the clip
Reporting indicates the clip originally appeared months earlier with an alternate caption and context—reporters and the video’s creator said the original was a joke and not aimed at federal officers—facts that undercut the DHS framing when it reposted the modified caption targeting ICE [2][8][6]. Multiple outlets documented that the DHS share altered the apparent target and tone of the original, which is the factual basis for calling the DHS version “doctored” or misleading [5][9].
3. DHS, Noem, and responsibility: competing claims
Outlets report that Noem and her department initially stood by the post or did not immediately remove it while critics pressed for explanations, and commentators linked the episode to a pattern of provocative DHS social messaging under Noem’s leadership [4][5][9]. Supporters of the DHS approach might argue the agency was drawing attention to threats against its officers, while critics see a misuse of government platforms to amplify manipulated content that targets young Black people—both frames are present in the coverage [4][2].
4. Political stakes and possible consequences
Swalwell publicly threatened congressional scrutiny if Noem did not act, framing the matter as potential misuse of federal communications and an attack on private citizens; journalists and activists warned the post exposed the youths to harassment and doxxing [3][4][7]. Some pieces suggested legal and ethical implications for a government agency circulating manipulated media, though available reporting does not document formal congressional action beyond threats or whether DHS staffers intentionally altered the caption [4][8].
5. Wider context and why this matters
This incident follows earlier episodes in which Noem’s DHS was accused of sharing misleading imagery, and critics frame it as part of a broader social‑media strategy that blurs official communication and culture‑war messaging—an approach that raises concerns about accuracy, civil liberties, and the safety of people depicted [5][9]. Reporting also shows the original creator saying the clip was a joke, highlighting how context collapse on social platforms can be weaponized when amplified by official accounts [8][6].
6. Limits of the record and open questions
Available sources consistently report the repost, the original video’s different caption, Swalwell’s demand, and claims the youths were harassed afterward, but none of the cited pieces provides a full internal DHS chronology, definitive proof of who within DHS edited the caption, or the final outcome of any formal inquiry—those remain unreported in the materials provided [1][2][3]. That gap leaves open whether the post was an intentional effort to mislead or a negligent amplification of manipulated content by agency personnel.