Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) displayed a poster of an AI-generated image falsely depicting the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti — in which one AI-created federal agent is clearly missing a head — while delivering remarks on the Senate floor.
“I am on the Senate floor to condemn the killing of U.S. citizens at the hands of federal immigration officers and to demand the Trump Administration take accountability for its actions,” Durbin proclaimed in a Wednesday X post, sharing video footage if him speaking on Capitol Hill.
Watch Below:
“This weekend, federal agents gunned down yet another American in Minneapolis,” the senator said. “Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse.”
“I’m going to show a photo of that scene, which is graphic, but I’m afraid it’s necessary to appreciate the horror of the moment,” Durbin continued, before displaying an AI-generated image falsely depicting last weekend’s fatal shooting on the Senate floor.
“This photo shows the last second, before the ICE agent killed Alex Pretti on the streets of Minneapolis,” the Democrat lawmaker added, getting yet another piece of information wrong, as the 37-year-old was shot by a border patrol agent — not ICE.
The senator’s X post sharing the video of his remarks was quickly ratioed. For context, “ratioed” is a social media term — primarily used on X — referring to when a post has far more replies than likes or reposts, indicating it is widely disliked or considered wrong by other users, who then flood the comment section to share their criticism.
“You just used an AI image on the floor of the U.S. Senate as evidence, Dick,” Townhall columnist Dustin Grage said.
“I can’t believe it, but it’s real,” Center for Renewing America CEO Eric Teetsel reacted. “@SenatorDurbin actually used the fake AI image from Minnesota on the Senate floor.”
“Did no one notice the alleged ICE officer is missing a head?!” Teetsel asked, sharing a still shot of the image from Durbin’s video, which shows that one of the AI-generated agents obviously does not have a head.
“Pretty graphic image for sure… considering the one ICE Agent doesn’t have a head,” another X user echoed.
“The headless horseman is an ICE agent?” another asked.
“‘The photo tells the story.’ Yeah. This story is about a drooling old Boomer in a silk suit who falls for AI slop like that kneeling ICE agent who has no head,” another wrote.
“Do you have staff?” political strategist Matt Whitlock inquired. “Falling for an AI photo and using in a floor speech is WILDLY embarrassing and can’t be helpful to your cause.”
“Whether you knew it or not, you presented an AI-generated false image as fact on the Senate floor. You should be censured, if not removed from office,” another asserted.
“An absolute outrage. Using AI generated images to make it look like an execution. You bastard,” another declared.
Another X user asked Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) to “please censure Durbin for displaying an AI photo.”
“One of the agents doesn’t even have head ffs,” the X user added. “This needs to be stricken from the record.”
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
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