Does a video of an ICE agent taking a U.S. citizen off a plane in Texas show a real incident? No, that's not true: The video was a scripted skit performed by actors, showing a person wearing a face covering and flashing a badge before removing a man from a plane. The TikTok account where it was originally posted features…
Did Erika Kirk announce she was opening an orphanage in honor of Charlie Kirk? No, that's not true: A video on TikTok repeats a false claim which began circulating on social media in late October 2025. There is no record of Erika Kirk announcing plans to build a school for orphans in honor of her late husband. The copy/paste posts…
Does a viral screenshot deliver a real extract from Michael Wolff's book about U.S. President Donald Trump demanding a "gorilla channel" in the White House? No, that's not true: It's an old joke that first emerged in January 2018 as a response to the revelations in Michael Wolff's 'Fire and Fury.' Lead Stories confirmed that the book contains no mention…
Did President Donald Trump announce that everyone born before 2000 would get all their debt erased? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that he made such an announcement or is considering a similar plan, and no official statements, proposals, or policy platforms support this claim. There has also been no credible policy discussion from administration sources about forgiving…
Did President Donald Trump post a message on his Truth Social account saying that Queen Elizabeth should pardon former prince Andrew after his arrest? No, that's not true: The original message was posted by an account clearly marked as satire as the screenshot shows. "Luke Skywalker" actor Mark Hamill shared the fake post, apparently missing the satire label, to mock…
Did Hungarian opposition leader Péter Magyár, who is challenging sitting Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in the April 2026 election, describe U.S. President Donald Trump as "a senile grandpa" in a public speech? No, that's not true: The claim originated from a fake report that stole the logo of Euronews, a real news organization, in an apparent attempt to make the…
Does a video show plainclothes ICE agents arresting a woman at a gate at San Francisco International Airport on March 22, 2026? Yes, that's true: A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told Lead Stories that two women-- not one --were arrested. The spokesperson said the women attempted to flee and resisted officers. The claim appeared in a video (archived here)…
Does a viral video on social media prove that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi publicly said she no longer wants to "set foot in the United States again" after Trump's Pearl Harbor comment, made in her presence? No, that's not true: The viral clip appeared to use AI-generated audio to create the illusion that she said what she never did.…
Does an actual Truth Social post by President Donald Trump threaten to use weapons of mass destruction against Iran? No, that's not true: Even though a viral image claims to show one, there is no such post on his Truth Social account. There are also no news reports of such a threat coming from the White House, which, if it…
Did President Donald Trump post on Truth Social that if NATO allies continued to refuse to help open the "straight" of Hormuz he would "reaffirm" his commitment to securing Greenland? No, that's not true: No such post appeared on Trump's Truth Social account, despite a viral image that appeared to show one. Google didn't index a post from Trump with…
Lead Stories is a fact checking website that is always looking for the latest false, misleading, deceptive or inaccurate stories, videos or images going viral on the internet.
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