George Floyd

Was a George Floyd statue located at the National Mall or the "Smithsonian Institute" in Washington, D.C., dismantled and "put in storage"? No, that's not true: The rumor that resurfaced on the internet in August 2025 came from the self-described "network of parody, satire, and tomfoolery". The image accompanying the claim showed a George Floyd statue in Newark, New Jersey.…

Did U.S. President Donald Trump publicly declare that he would implement martial law in the United States on April 20, 2025? No, that's not true: As of April 9, Trump had not publicly given any such order, or made any such declaration. Rumors that Trump would announce or implement martial law on April 20 stemmed from an executive order relating…

Did the story that George Floyd's family listed "$1,900 in assets on a welfare application" despite receiving $50 million four years ago originate on an actual news site? No, that's not true: A meme making that claim originated on a Facebook page with a satire disclaimer. The owner of the page is known for tricking conservatives into liking and sharing…

Was the George Floyd statue removed from the National Mall in Washington in February 2025? No, that's not true: The National Park Service told Lead Stories that it had never erected a statue of Floyd on the National Mall. The image used in the social media post shows a statue that was erected for George Floyd in Newark, New Jersey.…

Has actor Jim Carrey died as of December 15, 2024? No, that's not true: The actor was seen alive in public following the publication of an article that reported his supposed death. The website that published this article contained other articles that falsely reported celebrity deaths and did not list validating information. No information about Carrey's supposed death was reported…

Does a photo show looters in a Target store after a New York jury found Daniel Penny not guilty of criminally negligent homicide in the chokehold death of Jordan Neely? No, that's not true: This photo of looters in a Target store was taken in Minnesota in 2020, two days after George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer.…

Did a viral video authentically document enforcing COVID-19 lockdowns in Minnesota in 2020 on orders of Gov. Tim Walz? No, that's not true: The video showing law enforcement using what appear to be paintball guns was taken when state authorities imposed curfews and mobilized the National Guard in response to the aftermath of that year's George Floyd protests. The person…

Did American basketball player Brittney Griner make a public statement announcing she is leaving the United States? No, that's not true: Griner's long-time agent refuted the claim in an email to Lead Stories and there are no stories about any such announcement on any news websites. The rumor first appeared in an AI-generated article published by what appeared to be…

Does the music video "Try That In A Small Town" by country music singer Jason Aldean only contain "real news footage," as he asserted in a public response to criticism that his song and video promote violence and allude to timeworn lynching threats? No, that's not true: Not every clip in the video is news footage. There are several stock…

Does a video show military vehicles and personnel moving through West Hollywood during the summer of 2023? No, that's not true: This footage is from the summer of 2020. The video was posted on TikTok on June 2, 2020, around the time that National Guard troops were patrolling the streets of Los Angeles after protests over the death of George…