Do real videos show actor James Franco making "2319" references? Yes, that's true, but it is complicated: It is not clear what Franco is referring to in the series of videos that first appeared in early June 2026. Lead Stories was able to identify the background of several shots in the videos and it appears they were from an upcoming…
Is there an image of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) stage at the White House, featuring a real banner that reads, in part, "Welcome to Costco"? No, that's not true: Although the UFC stage is real, the image contains an AI-generated banner. The fake banner is a reference to a satirical comedy film. The claim appeared in a post published…
Is a photo showing the White House South Lawn torn up and under construction for the UFC Fight Night ring in early June 2026 authentic? No, that's not true: The image of the White House lawn with the grass torn out and a large outdoor stadium was rated as likely AI-generated. Photos of the construction available from reputable photo agencies…
Does a video show President Donald Trump asleep, unconscious, or passed out during an Oval Office meeting in early June 2026? No, that's not true: There is no conclusive evidence that the president lost consciousness. He briefly closes his eyes during the seven-second clip but reopens them about four seconds into it. A longer version of the video shows Trump…
Did the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) confirm that Erika Kirk would host the White House fight night on June 14, 2026? No, that's not true: The claim originated from a self-described satire account. President Donald Trump announced he would host the fight at the White House on his 80th birthday. No credible media reporting confirmed the rumor that conservative activist…
Is a video that shows Joe Rogan saying he is considering refusing to commentate the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fight at the White House legitimate? No, that's not true: The video was labeled "Contains AI-generated media." Rogan did criticize the event on his podcast, saying he does not like the idea of fighting outside, but he did not say he…
Has President Donald Trump been out of public view for eight straight days as of early June 2026? No, that's not true: In the eight days preceding June 3, 2026, the president was seen by White House press pool reporters on multiple days. Trump also pre-recorded an interview with the New York Post on June 2, 2026, which was published…
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,…
Did U.S. President Donald Trump call Catherine Lucey "a terrible reporter" and did she call him a "terrible president"? No, none of that is true: Viral posts fabricated the specific quotes. While Trump did make insulting comments toward Lucey, he used different words, and there is no record of her publicly saying what social media attributed to her. The claim…
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…
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