January 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol

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…

Does a video of U.S. troops stationed in front of the U.S. Capitol show that the American government is preparing for social unrest ahead of the 2024 U.S. presidential election? No, that's not true: The video is from late January 2021. The soldiers were there for Joe Biden's presidential inauguration and were securing the area near the Capitol following January…

Does a video on social media show two versions of the same January 6, 2021, speakerphone call between then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and then-Vice President Mike Pence, apparently implying at least one of the versions was staged? No, that's not true: The actual video of the call following the U.S. Capitol attack on January 6 was deceptively edited to exactly…