PoliticsJoe Rogan Thinks Someone Made ICE Shooting Victim Alex Pretti Look 'Hotter' in Edited Photo to Gain More 'Sympathy' Over His Death
Alex Pretti was killed by ICE agents while protesting.
Jan. 29 2026, Published 12:30 p.m. ET
Joe Rogan was in disbelief over MS NOW (formerly know as MSNBC) broadcasting a photoshopped image of Alex Pretti, the man in Minneapolis, Minn., who was killed by ICE on Saturday, January 24.
The podcast host addressed the situation on the Wednesday, January 28, episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience," where he alleged it was the network who edited the photo, when in reality, the doctored shot was pulled from the internet.
Joe Rogan Addresses Edited Photo of Alex Pretti
Alex Rogan thinks the viral edited photo of Alex Pretti was created so people would be more 'sympathetic' about his death.
Rogan likened the doctoring to when he accused CNN of tweaking his own photo during the pandemic after he refused to get the vaccine when he tested positive for the Coronavirus. Instead, he was taking ivermectin, prednisone and other medications that were not approved for treating COVID-19.
Joe Rogan Believes CNN Edited His Photo in 2021
The controversial podcast host previously accused CNN of altering his image when he condemned the COVID-19 vaccine.
Despite his claims, AP News and other outlets denied his allegations at the time.
"Basically they did the opposite of what CNN did to me. You know, CNN during the COVID times turned me green, made me look ugly and like I was dying, and they made [Pretti] handsome," Rogan noted on the recent episode of his podcast. "So people would be more sympathetic to him getting shot, which is kind of wild. Like, are ugly people less valuable?"
'They Made Him a Little Hotter'
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Joe Rogan thinks the edited photo 'shortened' Pretti's face and gave him a tan.
"That is crazy to me. Look at the difference," the star continued. "They shortened his face. They gave him a little bit of a tan. They widened his face a little bit. They just made him a little handsomer. A little hotter. They shrunk his nose a little, too."
"They changed the tone of the color. Wild," Rogan declared. "I mean, they changed his f------ teeth... they gave him veneers. Look at the difference in his teeth. He's a much more handsome guy."
MS Now Issues Editor's Note for Mistake
MS NOW issued a correction after accidentally airing an 'AI-enhanced image' of Alex Pretti.
The altered picture of Pretti was shown on the Monday, January 26, edition of Deadline: White House, prompting the network to eventually issue an editor's note that read, "MS NOW swapped out the original thumbnail image for this video. The previous thumbnail used was an AI-enhanced image of Alex Pretti."
What Happened to Alex Pretti?
Alex Pretti was fatally shot by ICE agents on January 24.
As OK! reported, Pretti was fatally shot in Minneapolis as he protested the ongoing ICE raids, which had already resulted in the death of a woman named Renee Good.
Video footage showed Pretti filming ICE agents with his phone when he came between an officer and a woman who was pushed to the ground. Pretti was wrestled to the ground by multiple officers, and it was then that they saw he was carrying a gun — though he had a legal permit to do so.
Despite Pretti allegedly never brandishing the weapon, officers shot him multiple times, resulting in his death.
