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

Does a video falsely attributed to the New York Times show Taylor Swift agreeing to support Democrats and gender reassignment surgeries for children in exchange for $500 million? No, that's not true: The video uses clips from Swift's real April 2026 New York Times interview and adds completely fabricated captions. The New York Times never reported that Swift agreed to…

Did Danish officials or Danish media play "Send in the Clowns" before President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio's Greenland press conference at the United Nations? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that Danish officials or media selected the music played before the press event on Sept. 22, 2026. Both Denmark's press office at the Ministry…

Did the Department of Justice delete President Donald Trump's pardons from its website? No, that's not true: The list of pardons and commutations on the "Clemency Grants" page of the Office of the Pardon Attorney on the Justice Department website was missing for hours, if not more than a day. The list was not on the site starting sometime between…

Does a photo show a person falling from the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001? No, that's not true: This real photo dates from a May 9, 2013, fire in the nine-story Lahore Development Authority (LDA) building in Pakistan. Local media reported 25 people were killed in the fire, five of them jumping or falling from the building. The…

Have you seen viral videos showing runaway medical robots? Lead Stories has spotted a number of such videos recently and found that many of them were created using artificial intelligence. They do not show real people or situations but are part of a viral trend showing technology out of control. This article is part of a series of stories examining…

Have you seen viral videos showing automatic haircut machines? Lead Stories has spotted a number of such videos recently and found that many were created using artificial intelligence. These videos do not show real people or situations. Instead, they exploit the novelty of such machines to drive engagement on social media. This article is part of a series of stories…

Did Fred Savage, the well-known actor from The Wonder Years, die at the age of 50? No, that's not true: The viral social media post cited Fox News as a source but no such report exists by Fox News. There is no evidence that Savage had died as of the time of publication. The claim appeared in a post (archived…

Have two real photos been paired to compare the appearance of Melania Trump and Caitlyn Jenner? No, that's not true: The image representing Caitlyn Jenner in the viral composite image is fake, containing an invisible watermark indicating it was made with OpenAI tools. The photo of Melania Trump is real, taken on Jan. 21, 2025, at the National Cathedral. The…

Was a viral video of people dressed in various costumes recorded at protests against the Alternative for Germany political party on Sept. 12, 2026? No, that's not true: The clip predated those rallies. It was recorded at a Pride event, as the caption of the first video uploaded said. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on X by…

Does a video show human meat for sale in a Paris butcher shop where arrests have been reportedly made? No, that's not true: There are no news reports matching the story of a butcher arrested for selling human meat in Paris. The video of a grocery meat case, originally published on Instagram on Jan. 6, 2026, was labeled "this beef…

Is a video of Vice President JD Vance asking for "another chance" and saying "things are bad" real? No, that's not true: The video was made with artificial intelligence, though Vance did ask for "another chance" at a summit. No credible sources have posted about this video. The claim appeared in a post made by @keithedwards on X (archived here)…

Does a real video show Donald Trump making kissy faces and sounds in front of former White House press secretary and Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders? No, that's not true: The claim appeared on an X account known for satirical content, and it acknowledged in a reply post that the video is a parody. Lead Stories found no credible news…

Do real photos show English singer-songwriter Sam Smith in 2016 and 2025? No, that's not true: An AI detection tool determined both images were 99.9% likely to be AI-generated. The images show Smith with noticeably different appearances, but neither depicts the singer as they actually looked in those years. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) by the @Misifu72…

Have you seen viral videos showing an alarming weather alert for one state? Lead Stories has spotted a number of such posts recently and has found that many of them were created using artificial intelligence. The colorful maps and emergency information are eye-catching and designed to target an audience in a specific state but they do not show real weather…

Did Republican activist Konner Earnest admit to having sex with a dog? No, that's not true: There is no evidence from credible sources that Earnest has ever made such an admission. Public records show that he was arrested in April 2025 on two sexual-assault charges and one charge of continuous violence against the family, with no charge involving bestiality. The…

Did music streaming platform Spotify delete Ed Sheeran's songs after Macklemore's removal from Sheeran's tour for pro-Palestine statements? No, that's not true: As of this writing, the artist's songs are still available on the platform. The rumor seemed to have originated from a self-proclaimed satire account. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on Threads where it was published…

Did the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation CBC publish an online story that tied paying for groceries to white supremacy? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that such a story was ever published by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Searches for the story did not come up with any relevant results. The claim appeared in a post made by a user…

Does a real photo accurately depict a notable difference in height between Kash Patel and the FBI agent trainees running with him? No, that's not true: This image has been altered to make Patel appear much smaller than he appears in the original photo. The unaltered image was originally shared by Patel's verified account on X. The claim appeared in…

Did Donald Trump post a map with "United States" covering both Russia and the U.S. on social media? No, that's not true: A review of Trump's Truth Social account found no record of such a post. There are no credible reports that he shared the map or made a statement suggesting that Russia is part of the United States at…

Is the video of actor Mel Gibson criticizing Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass fake? No, that's not true: The video first appeared on Raymond Arroyo's podcast in the summer of 2025 during the wave of anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles. Six AI-detection tools ruled that the footage of Gibson was not generated by AI. His statements were also covered by…