Fact Check

Did President Joe Biden turn and smile when a reporter asked if his son, Hunter Biden, should receive a presidential pardon? No, that's not true: The audio track of this video was altered. Audio from a press briefing held on September 15, 2023, was added to video footage filmed on May 31, 2024, to suggest that Biden had smiled after…

Was mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor sued for sexual assault in a personal injury civil case after declaring his interest in running for president of Ireland? No, that's not true: A post alleging a connection between the civil lawsuit and McGregor's political ambitions misled readers about the timeline of the events. The civil lawsuit was filed in 2021, years…

Did Walmart donate $3.5 million to President-elect Donald Trump and Republican campaigns while giving nothing to Democrats ahead of the 2024 election? No, that's not true: Walmart's political donations come from an employee-funded political action committee, not the Walmart corporation. Public records show that while this committee supports both Republican and Democratic candidates, it didn't donate to either major party's…

Did Hillary Clinton say that she would leave the U.S. if Jeffrey Epstein's client list was released? No, that's not true: As of December 2, 2024, there is no record of Hillary Clinton having made such an announcement on her social media channels or website, and major media outlets did not report such a quote. Court documents naming many of…

Did an authentic photo show Elon Musk dancing in a mesh halter mini-shirt in 2018? No, that's not true: Two AI detection tools found that the image was generated using AI technology. Lead Stories found that the photo was posted in March 2024 -- not in 2018. Furthermore, the account that posted the image provided no evidence to support this…

Did actor Robert Downey Jr. announce that he would leave the Marvel movie franchise and the U.S., stating, "Goodbye, I don't fit in here," as of December 2, 2024? No, that's not true: A Threads post that reported Downey's supposed announcement included a link that, when clicked, led to a "404 Error Page." Neither the original poster nor the website…

Did Elon Musk say he would release a "bombshell" client list tied to rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs and financier Jeffrey Epstein? No, that's not true: This originated from SpaceX Fanclub, a Facebook page with a satire disclaimer: "We post SATIRE, nothing on this page is real." The first comment under the post included a link to the self-described satire website…

Did The Daily Mail report that Sen. Lindsey Graham is a pedophile who "plied boys with drugs and sexually assaulted them" and breached parole after his release from jail? No, that's not true: An account on X plastered a photo of Graham onto an authentic Mail article about an Australian politician to make it look like Graham was the subject…

Did CNN publish an article calling the "Chill Guy" meme a "figurehead of racist right wingers"? No, that's not true: A screenshot of a real article from 2019 was edited to make it look like it was about the meme. A fake headline and a new opening paragraph was added, and the date on the article was changed to 2024.…

Did President-elect Donald Trump release a statement ordering the Dallas police to prepare to make an arrest over John F. Kennedy's assassination? No, that's not true: The image that mimics a Trump/Vance Transition press release is fake. A search of Trump's Truth Social account did not find any matching statement. There are no credible news reports of him ordering the…

Does an image circulating on social media accurately depict Elon Musk with a big belly, as if pregnant? No, that's not true: This image has been digitally edited. The source image, which was subjected to editing, was a still frame pulled from a real video of Musk that was filmed at SpaceX's Starbase on June 5, 2024. Lead Stories analysis…

Does a video show members of the European Parliament giving a standing ovation to the U.S. decision to permit Ukraine to strike deeper into Russia with U.S.-supplied weapons? No, that's not true: The post's caption mislabels the content of a video shared online. The video showed members of the EU parliament clapping before and after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's address…

Does a CNN video show Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau crying in response to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's pledge in November 2024 to slap tariffs on Canadian exports to the U.S.? No, that's not true: The video is from 2017 and shows Trudeau becoming emotional over the death of Canadian musician Gord Downie. The 2017 clip has been edited, and…

Does a photograph posted on X genuinely show the coffins of 18 British Special Forces being returned after they were killed in Ukraine? No, that's not true: The photo predates the Russia-Ukraine war by over a decade. It was taken in 2006 and shows the coffins of 14 servicemen killed in an air crash in Afghanistan while aboard an RAF…

Did actor Tom Hanks withdraw his 2025 Oscar nominations and leave the United States, saying "I've had enough" in an Instagram video? No, that's not true: This story comes from a self-described satirical website whose About Us page announces it is "dedicated to bringing you the latest and greatest in fake news and absurdity." Lead Stories found no sign in…

Did Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum say that migrant caravans will no longer reach the U.S. border from her country in response to President-elect Donald Trump's threat of tariffs? No, that's not true: Sheinbaum actually said migrant caravans "no longer arrive at the border" because of her country's "comprehensive policy to assist migrants." The other reason is a U.S. program set…

Did Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni say Italy opposes President Joe Biden's policy change that permits Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied long-range missiles to strike deep into Russia? No, that's not true: There is no publicly available recording or transcript of Meloni expressing Italian opposition to the change. During the Group of 20 summit on November 18 and 19, 2024, shortly…

Did the recipe for Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar change after the company was purchased by Katy Perry -- and now, in partnership with Bill Gates, is the vinegar brand using "Apeel apples," which contain trans fats? No, that's not true: This rumor is false about products from two different companies. Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar does not use apples coated with…

Do vaccinations cause liver flukes in the human stomach? No, that's not true: Vaccine experts contacted by Lead Stories called the notion "science fiction" and "nonsense." Liver flukes are parasites you can get from eating contaminated food like raw fish or certain plants. Vaccines are safe, tested treatments that protect you from diseases and have nothing to do with parasites.…

Did the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs say they are boycotting Pride Nights? No, that's not true: Neither the Steelers nor the Chiefs have publicly stated they were boycotting Pride Nights. The post saying so did not offer any evidence to back up its claim but it seems to have originated on a website with a satire disclaimer. The…