Obama

Did multiple people, ranging from anti-Trump protesters to a granny in pink, climb to the top of the Empire State Building on the same day, displaying different messages? No, that's not true: Those images and videos were AI-generated, according to online detection tools and visual analysis. News reports confirmed that only two people -- previously featured in the 2024 documentary…

Are social media posts claiming that Sarah Palin, Michelle Obama, or other celebrity women wore "probably the smallest bikini In the world" real? No, that's not true: The images used in the posts were created with artificial intelligence tools and distributed on a network of fake Facebook fan pages managed from North Macedonia. These clickbait posts link to blogs filled…

Does a real photo show Michelle Obama standing taller than her husband, Barack Obama, as well as the Bidens, Bushes, and Clintons? No, that's not true: The image circulating on social media was edited. Lead Stories reviewed the original photograph and found that Michelle Obama did not tower above the others; in the unaltered image, she appeared to be about…

Did former President Barack Obama bar President Trump from 'stepping foot inside the Obama Presidential Center' after a Somali World Cup referee was denied entry to the United States? No, that's not true: A video features Obama with an AI-generated voiceover falsely attributing statements to him. The April interview with Stephen Colbert (aired May 5, 2026) contains no such remarks.…

Did Senator John Fetterman, D-Pa., say Malia Obama got $2.3 million from USAID during the presidency of her father, Barack Obama, and called for an investigation? No, that's not true: The claim originated from a self-described satire network. No credible media reporting confirms the rumor. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published on X on June 2, 2026,…

Does a real selfie taken by Barack Obama show him with fellow presidents Joe Biden, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Jimmy Carter? No, that's not true: There is no evidence the image is authentic. No official White House photographer or news outlet has ever documented such a gathering and Carter had died before the image appeared online. The claim…

Does a meme accurately show a real "epic moment" exchange between Trump and Obama about Iran nuclear deals? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that such an exchange ever took place on social media or anywhere else. Lead Stories found no credible news coverage documenting the alleged incident. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) by the…

Does an online graphic accurately depict changes in the net worth of recent presidents from Bill Clinton to Joe Biden? Yes, that's true: Despite some formatting glitches, the figures in the AI-generated infographic were originally compiled by two personal finance publications using publicly available information and estimates from universities, as well as financial media outlets. While exact net worth figures…

Does a real photo show former first daughter Sasha Obama wearing a MAGA hat? No, that's not true: There is no credible evidence that she was ever photographed wearing a MAGA hat. Evidence shows the image is an altered version of a photograph first published online by a celebrity news agency on July 22, 2025. It also shows signs of…

Is this a real photo of Robert De Niro wearing a T-shirt that says "Obama are you coming home soon? The babysitter is weird" and flipping off the camera in front of Trump Tower? No, that's not true. De Niro's rep told Lead Stories the photo was "fake." An online detection tool rated the photo of De Niro with his…