January 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol

Did the FBI have 274 plainclothes agents undercover and embedded in January 6 crowds at the US Capitol? No, that's not true: Many of 274 FBI agents documented in a report were part of the law enforcement response after the crowd stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021. The agents were not undercover nor were they embedded in the crowd.…

Did Tulsi Gabbard, the U.S. Director of National Intelligence, officially designate California Sen. Adam Schiff and former CIA Director John Brennan "domestic enemies"? No, that's not true: An authentic video posted by Gabbard in Jan. 2021 resurfaced on social media in Sept. 2025 with a misleading description that makes it seem like a 2025 video. Gabbard became the Director of…

Did the Fraternal Order of Police rescind its endorsement of President Donald Trump in response to the sweeping January 6 pardons he gave after his 2025 swearing-in? No, that's not true: The Fraternal Order of Police issued a letter that criticized pardons by both Trump and former President Joe Biden of people convicted of violence against law enforcement officers, but…

Did President Joe Biden pardon Michael Byrd, the U.S. Capitol Police officer who allegedly killed Ashli Babbitt during the January 6, 2021, protest? No, that's not true: None of the pardons he issued mentioned Byrd directly. Also, the blanket pardon Biden signed for police officers from the Capitol Police who testified before the January 6 Select Committee didn't cover Byrd…

Did Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez lie about being at the Capitol on January 6, 2021? No, that's not true: Ocasio-Cortez never said she was at the U.S. Capitol building when it was stormed by protesters on that date. Instead, she stated on Instagram Live that she was in her office at the nearby Cannon House Office Building at the time. The…

Did Republican strategist Karl Rove campaign for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris in Pennsylvania as of mid-October 2024? No, that's not true: Rove denied that to Lead Stories. Posts on social media speculating about his involvement in the Harris campaign reused images and recordings of Rove predating the time when Harris entered the race. Lead Stories found no evidence confirming…

Are two Pennsylvania Republicans who appeared in pro-Kamala Harris campaign spots really "trained actors" who donated to Democratic causes for years? No, that's not true: The Democratic donations came from people with similar names but who live in different parts of Pennsylvania. The woman who is in the Harris ad confirmed to Lead Stories, "Both my husband and I are…

Was former D.C. police officer Michael Fanone, who responded to the January 6, 2021, insurrection, a young Iranian hired during the Clinton era? No, that's not true: Fanone is not an Iranian national, He was born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Alexandria, Virginia. He graduated from Ballou High School in Washington. Fanone initially began working for the U.S. Capitol…

Did U.S. Special Forces "rescue" military and civilian "J6ers" from a "deep state" prison in the Aleutian Islands on April 7, 2024? No, that's not true: This claim appears on a website that regularly publishes fabricated content. Also, no credible reports have been published that substantiate this claim, and there is no proof such a prison exists. The claim appeared…

Did the Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps begin the tribunal of Attorney General Merrick Garland on March 22, 2024, because he was purportedly charged with treason? No, that's not true: A Pentagon duty officer told Lead Stories that the information in this claim is "false." This claim appears on a website that regularly publishes fabricated content. The claim appeared in…