Barack Obama

Did CNN refuse to talk about a viral video showing missile strikes on a "runner" near a church during the Obama administration? No, that's not true: The footage is from the video game "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare", which was released in 2007, well before Obama became President in 2009. CNN did write about the game at the time.…

Does a video show authentic clips of world leaders speaking frankly about controversial narratives? No, that's not true: The video clip was posted with disclaimers in the caption and in the video itself clearly stating it is AI-generated. It was produced and published by RT, a state-controlled network funded by the Russian government. The video appears in a post (archived…

Does a photo show demolition done to the White House by Barack Obama to install an indoor basketball court? No, that's not true: A black and white photo shows the West Wing expansion project conducted by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1934. Obama did install a basketball court in 2009, 75 years after the photo was taken, but it did not…

Did three former U.S. presidents -- Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Bill Clinton -- reject Secret Service detail assigned under the Trump administration for being "DEI hires"? No, that's not true: The rumor was first published on a self-described satire website. No professional journalistic organization reported on any such claim. The rumor originated from an article (archived here) published on…

Did Barack and Michelle Obama sell their Martha's Vineyard estate to Les Wexner, a money management client of Jeffrey Epstein? No, that's not true. The home that Wexner purchased on Martha's Vineyard in July 2025 had been rented for Obama summer vacations from 2009 to 2011, while Obama was president. Though they later bought an estate on Martha's Vineyard, that…

Did former President Barack Obama charge the Biden Administration $18 million a year for consulting? No, that's not true: The post spreading that claim originated on a Facebook page with a satire disclaimer and a warning that all the contents of the page are fabricated. The owner of the page is known for tricking conservatives into liking and sharing made-up…

Did President Donald Trump post a meme of him and Vice President Vance in police cars chasing Barack Obama in a white Bronco on a freeway? Yes, that's true: The meme was created from a real photo of Los Angeles police chasing O.J. Simpson on a freeway on June 17, 1994. It was altered to include Obama's head in place…

Is a viral video of former President Barack Obama saying "Trump crossed my bottom line" authentic? No, that's not true: The video is an obvious fake, with an extra-large gap between Obama's front teeth and lip movements that don't match the words being spoken. No Obama video statement about the situation were found on credible news sites, nor on Obama's…

Did Barack Obama spend 310 days, working from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the White House running the country in 2024? No, that's not true: The meme spreading that claim originated on a Facebook page with a satire disclaimer and a warning that all the contents of the page are made up. The owner of the page is known…

Did White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt "end up exposing herself on live national TV" after NBC News correspondent Garrett Haake dramatically sought to "correct the record" during a briefing? No, that's not entirely true: In March 2025, Haake did briefly fact-check Leavitt's description of a federal judge as an Obama appointee. However, a widely-shared June 2025 blog post exaggerated…