Did Newsweek report that Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, gives President Donald Trump the "cough test" every day? No, that's not true: The quoted passage does not appear anywhere in the article reviewed by Lead Stories, and no credible evidence shows that Oz made such a statement. The alleged quote is fabricated.…
Is a video of Fox News guest retired Vice Adm. Robert Harward circulating on social media real and taken from the original broadcast? Yes, that's true: Harward, a former deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, appeared on Fox News on May 19, 2026, to provide expert analysis on the war with Iran. The videos and images circulating on social media…
Does a real video show a female military captain named Elena Carter not saluting President Donald Trump? No, that's not true: The video was posted on an account that contains self-described AI videos. Details in the video also point to it being AI-generated. The claim appeared in a post made on Threads on May 14, 2026 (archived here). It included…
Does a real video show a U.S. warship on fire after an Iranian attack? No, that's not true: An AI-generated content detection tool rated the video as "likely to be AI-generated." There are also several other signs that the video was likely made with AI or digitally altered, including unnatural-looking fire and smoke, unrealistic water movement, and slight warping or…
Is a viral video that shows "never-before-seen" footage of an unidentified object moving in the sky near a helicopter flying, included in the UFO Files that were released by the Trump administration and the Department of War? No, that's not true: The black and white video does not appear in the publicly available UFO files released by the Trump administration…
In a real social media post, did President Donald Trump say, "I am very close to deciding if I will run again in 2028"? No, that's not true: The supposed post does not appear on the president's official Truth Social account, and there are no reliable reports that it ever did. While Trump has suggested the possibility of running for…
Does a video show a Russian submarine arriving in Havana, Cuba, in May 2026? No, that's not true: The footage dates back to June 2024, when a nuclear-powered Russian submarine and three Russian warships arrived in Havana as part of a port visit coinciding with Russian naval exercises in the Caribbean. The clip resurfaced in social media posts falsely claiming…
Does a video show a double missile strike by Iran on a U.S. ship during hostile action in May 2026? No, that's not true: The clip resurfaced in social media posts falsely claiming it showed an Iranian strike near Jask Island, but it actually comes from a 2016 live-fire exercise conducted by the U.S. Navy and its allies in the…
Did Kid Rock speak at the Pentagon about the Strait of Hormuz? No, that's not true: A Pentagon spokesman said the musician visited on April 27, 2026, as part of a Freedom 250th community event, where he met with service members and filmed videos tied to Memorial Day, America's 250th birthday, and his Freedom 250 tour. According to the Pentagon,…
Did Al Jazeera broadcast a report stating that NATO countries shared intel with Iran on U.S. military movements? No, that's not true: Lead Stories did not find evidence of such a report. The video claiming to be the Al Jazeera report contained an AI-generated voice-over. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published on X on April 22, 2026.…
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