Just Because It's Trending Doesn't Mean It's True — Fact checking at the speed of likes since 2015

Do several states, including Colorado, Maryland, Virginia and New Jersey, have total voter registration rates larger than the eligible voter population? No, that's not true: Social media posts saying that used numbers based on estimates derived from five-year survey samples but these numbers are not a direct 100% headcount of every person, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and they…

Did Texas Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa apologize to Elon Musk in an "open letter"? No, that's not true: Three online tools and Lead Stories' manual analysis strongly suggested that the viral image was made by AI. The alleged open letter also contained a spelling mistake in the word "governor," and Lead Stories found no reports from established news outlets of such…

Did Elon Musk call Texas Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa "a puppet of Barack Obama and Kamala Harris"? No, that's not true: The quote attributed to the tech billionaire on social media was made up. Lead Stories found no traces of it on open sources, including Musk's own account on X and news reports published by established media organizations. The claim appeared…

Did Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows get caught committing election fraud after a box of 250 ballots was found in her office in 2026? No, that's not true: The controversy over a missing box of 250 ballots in Maine took place in 2025 for the election that year. The box was found in Maryland, not in the secretary of…

Did President Donald Trump make a post calling Vice President JD Vance "Judas Disloyal Vance" following the 2026 midterm elections? No, that's not true: The president did not make such a post on his official Truth Social account, and a search of an archive of his posts found no such entry. Lead Stories found no reports from established news outlets…

Did comedian Dave Chappelle refuse to shake hands with Sen.-elect James Talarico at the end of an episode of Saturday Night Live that aired on Nov. 7, 2026? No, that's not true: Chappelle gave Talarico a hug during the closing credits. There were no reports from established news outlets of any kind of snub by Chappelle of Talarico during the…

Do viral images and videos authentically document U.K. Defense Secretary Wes Streeting wearing a skirt and heels while holding a women's handbag? Those visual materials were digitally manipulated to alter his outfit. In the images published by established media organizations, Streeting was seen wearing a suit and men's shoes. The claim appeared in a post (archived here and here) on…

Did JD Vance post a message on his X account saying he is looking for legal options to avoid being the one who swears Abdul El-Sayed into office? No, that's not true: The vice president did not post the message on his X account, and a search of his account for the quote returned no matching posts. Lead Stories found…

Does a viral image actually show Aramco Tower in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after the Houthi attack in November 2026? No, that's not true: The picture was not a real photo documenting the aftermath. Five online tools determined the viral image was AI-generated. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on X where it was published by @adoneikam on Nov.…

Did the FBI, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, seize vote counting machines in Texas and Arizona? No, that's not true: The claim originated from a social media account that has been the subject of several Lead Stories fact checks, and the creator's Facebook page lists its category as "Comedian." The image used in the post showing law…

Does a bar chart showing differences between midterm U.S. House results in 2022, and projected counts for 2026, prove that Democrats got 20 million new votes out of nowhere? No, that's not true: The unattributed chart marked "2026 (projected)" shows a reasonable prediction, but the suggestion that 20 million votes or voters just appeared is not justified. Turnout data and…

Did Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed fail a background check conducted for classified U.S. Senate briefings? No, that's not true: The claim originated from social media accounts that have been the subject of several Lead Stories fact checks, and the creator's Facebook page lists its category as "Comedian." The Congressional Research Service says members of Congress are not required to hold security…

Do official documents correctly show that there were more votes in certain races in Wyandot County, Ohio, than ballots cast? No, that's not true: The numbers certified in the unofficial certification of results from Nov. 3, 2026, were incorrect. "Those numbers do not math," the Director of Wyandot County Board of Elections, Darcy Zimmerman, told Lead Stories, confirming there was…

Does a viral graph mapping President Trump's result in the 2024 election onto the results of the 2026 Senate election show a uniform, 15% decrease for all states that had a Senate election? No, that's not true: A clearer version of the graph produced by Lead Stories shows only a few states where the number from that calculation matches the…

Did Nicki Minaj delete her official Instagram account after the Nov. 3, 2026, midterm elections? No, that's not true: Minaj's account has been unavailable for viewing since the end of 2025. There are no reports of her official account being reactivated in 2026. The claim was made in a post (archived here) on Threads by the account jmatthewcobb on Nov.…

Does a real photo show the capture of Wilson Joseph, the leader of the Haitian gang 400 Mawozo? No, that's not true: This image is fake and has a SynthID watermark indicating it was made with Google AI. At the time of publication, Nov. 6, 2026, searches of Google News and Yahoo News returned no reports from established news outlets…

Did President Donald Trump post on Truth Social that the "CLARITY Act" is canceled alongside the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve? No, that's not true: A review of Trump's Truth Social account found no record of the post. No established news outlets had reported that he shared the message at the time of publication or announced plans to cancel either initiative. The…

Does Wisconsin have 7 million registered voters but only 4 million adults? No, that's not true: The Wisconsin voter list includes both active and inactive records, and the total was more than 7 million in 2022, when the claim was made. As of Nov. 6, 2026, the state had more than 3.67 million active registered voters and nearly 4.86 million…

Does a video really show Mike Lindell after the 2026 midterm election driving recklessly fast toward Texas and not looking at the road? No, that's not true: This video clip originally showed Lindell in a parked car during an appearance that aired on Steve Bannon's "War Room" in 2023. The video clip was altered shortly after its release in 2023,…

Does a viral collage actually document the Colosseum and the Eiffel Tower lit in blue to celebrate Democratic wins in the 2026 midterms? No, that's not true: Five online tools determined that the pictures in it were made with generative AI. No established news outlets reported that the two sights turned blue for this occasion. The claim appeared in a…