Trump

Was a man named "François Faivre", the supposed surgeon who "announced Brigitte Macron's transgender transformation," found dead in Paris in June 2026? No, that's not true: Lead Stories searched the French national registry of the deceased but found no exact matches. The claim came from a video showing AI-generated people that has resurfaced on the internet multiple times since 2025.…

Does a photo show a real Massachusetts license plate that reads "5TAB 47"? Yes, that's true: The Massachusetts Department of Transportation told Lead Stories that it is "an existing Massachusetts passenger plate," is not a vanity plate and was "randomly assigned." Some people have interpreted "5TAB 47" as "Stab 47," a threat to kill Donald Trump, the 47th president of…

Did Karoline Leavitt say, "It's hard for President Trump to make key decisions on Iran when he doesn't have enough intelligence"? No, that's not true: The White House press secretary never remarked that Trump "doesn't have enough intelligence." The fake quote was published by a humorist on social media. There are no records of her making the comment on the…

Did President Donald Trump post an O.J. Simpson meme showing former President Barack Obama and first lady Melania Trump riding in the white Bronco together? No, that's not true: Trump posted a meme in 2025 on his Truth Social account showing himself in a police car chasing Obama in Simpson's white Bronco with Vice President J.D. Vance in another police…

Does a real photo show an army officer with the "nuclear football" chained to what is described on social media as a "diaper bag" carried by Trump aide Natalie Harp? No, that's not true: The original photo didn't display an army officer or the briefcase allowing access to the nuclear arsenal. The image was digitally altered by AI. The claim…

Did MS NOW host Rachel Maddow broadcast a transcript of a call between former Attorney General Pam Bondi and President Donald Trump? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that Bondi and Trump were ever recorded having such a call, nor is there any evidence that Maddow broadcast a transcript of one. In addition, an AI detection tool concluded…

Does a real video or screenshot show President Donald Trump slumped over asleep at the White House Correspondents' Dinner with his mouth hanging open? No, that's not true: A deepfake video appears to be based on real footage from the dinner but has been altered to make Trump appear to fight sleep in an over-the-top, absurdist way. The video was…

Did Donald Trump post an image of himself with John F. Kennedy, Mahatma Gandhi, and Jesus Christ on his Truth Social account? No, that's not true: The image, which appears to mimic a Truth Social post, did not originate with Trump. Instead, it first appeared on a social media account known for posting satirical content. A review of Trump's Truth…

Does an image comparison show a real Getty photo of Donald Trump next to a White House-edited version giving him smooth skin? No, that's not true: Both photos are edited, and neither can be attributed to those two sources. Reuters published the original image, which does not look like either of the edited images. The claim appeared in a post…

Did the Federal Communications Commission fine NBC and ABC $25 million each for not carrying President Trump's July 16, 2026, speech and fine CBS $10 million for not airing it in full? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has imposed or threatened to impose fines on these three broadcast networks. Both the…