Butler Rally

Were explosive devices discovered at the site of a Donald Trump campaign event on September 18, 2024, on Long Island, New York? No, that's not true: Law enforcement denied the rumor. The police statement said that a person "training a bomb detection dog" near the event's location had made a false report. The claim about explosive devices appeared in a…

Did someone finally notice that Trump's raised fist has six fingers in the famous image from the aftermath of the Butler, Pennsylvania, assassination attempt -- indicating the image is a fake generated by AI? No, that's not true: This image is altered from the original news photo. The post pretending to expose an AI deception was made 40 days after…

Does an authentic photo show Secret Service agents without earpieces during their response to the shooting at a Donald Trump rally on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania? No, that's not true: The earpieces can be seen in the original picture captured by Getty Images staff photographer Anna Moneymaker. The image in an X post that claims Secret Service agents…

Did CNN live stream the July 13, 2024, Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when they have never live-streamed any of Trump's other political rallies? No, that's not true: A spokesperson for CNN told Lead Stories that there was not an internet live stream of that specific rally, but CNN television was covering the rally. The spokesperson also noted that CNN…

Did a Jewish family hire Thomas Matthew Crooks to shoot former President Donald Trump? Or was Crooks trained to shoot by the CEO of BlackRock Security or by a rabbi? Has footage been leaked showing Crooks and the BlackRock CEO together carrying a gun? No, none of these claims are true: Using an AI-detection tool, Lead Stories found that the…

Is there leaked footage showing BlackRock CEO Larry Fink carrying a gun as he walks with Thomas Matthew Crooks, the gunman who tried to assassinate Donald Trump? No, that's not true: The still photo that's a thumbnail preview to a YouTube video is a fake AI-generated image. The scene in the photo does not appear in the YouTube video at…

Does a photo taken less than two weeks after Donald Trump's right ear was grazed in an assassination attempt show it undamaged? No, that's not true: The photo on social media predates the shooting by more than seven years. There's no evidence to suggest that the former president's ear has fully healed in less than two weeks since the July…

Did the would-be assassin who fired at former President Donald Trump use the roof of a building owned by investment firm BlackRock? No, that's not true: According to Pennsylvania property records, that building is owned by a different company, American Glass Research. No credible news organization reported otherwise, and BlackRock denied the claim in an email to Lead Stories. The…

Did Donald Trump write on X that he was "regrowing" his ear after it was pierced by a bullet? No, that's not true: The creator of the fake Trump post admitted it was meant to be satirical. The X post does not appear on the former president's X account. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on X, formerly…

Does a photo on social media show Trump shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks wearing a yarmulke? No, that's not true: Representatives of the Congregation B'nai Abraham Synagogue in Butler, Pennsylvania, told Lead Stories they know the person in the photograph and that he's not Crooks. According to the congregation's statement, Crooks never "attended any event or service" at their synagogue. The…