Did President Trump make a post on Truth Social asking Markwayne Mullin if ICE detention centers could be used to lock up communists? No, that's not true: Viral images that appear to show such a post are fake, there is no such message on Trump's actual account. It likely originated as satire because the message also attacked people for "demanding…
Did Congressman Jack Kimble actually speak with his friend, Senator Mitch McConnell on July 7, 2026? No, that's not true: Congressman Jack Kimble does not exist. The rumor about the supposed conversation came from a page that has been known as a satire account for years. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published on X by @RepJackKimble on…
Does a viral image show the Sail4th250 tall ships Independence Day parade in New York Harbor on July 4, 2026? No, that's not true: Despite claiming to show one of the real vessels, the picture was "completely fabricated", a representative of the event organizer told Lead Stories. It was an AI-generated image. The claim appeared in a post (archived here)…
Did Sen. Mitch McConnell's wife, Elaine Chao, go to China after he was hospitalized following a "cardiac arrest"? No, that's not true: Chao, a former U.S. transportation secretary, was already in China when her husband was taken to the hospital on June 14, 2026. She met with university officials in Shanghai on June 12, 2026. McConnell's office has not disclosed…
Have you come across viral videos showing people who appear to mock Native Americans selling Indigenous-style jackets? Lead Stories has identified several of these clips in recent weeks and determined that many were AI-generated. The people are not real Native Americans and scenarios depicted in the videos were not real -- social media accounts posted this kind of content to…
Did people born outside France or French territories set the Saint-Michel Basilica in Bordeaux on fire in July 2026? No, that's not true: The City of Bordeaux denied that when contacted by Lead Stories. The fire occurred near the church and caused no damage to it. The claim appeared in a post (archived here, here and here) published on X…
Was New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani barred from Katz's Deli in New York? No, that's not true: The story originated on a Facebook page known for its satirical content, which carries the warning "Nothing on this page is real." The image supporting the claim is stamped with a warning label that says the same thing. The claim appeared in…
Does real police bodycam footage show the moment police rescued a kidnapped child at Orlando International Airport? No, that's not true: This video is fake. Google's Gemini verification tool detected a SynthID watermark in the visuals and audio of the video. A search of Google News found no reporting matching a July 2019 incident where Officer Melissa Grant rescued a…
Did President Donald Trump post a message saying, "Belgium is 2 weeks away from developing a nuclear bomb"? No, that's not true: The message, which appears to mimic a Truth Social post, is fake. A review of his account history found no record of the supposed post. There are no credible reports that he ever shared such a message. The…
Have you come across viral videos showing how people mock influencers for wearing Christian-themed clothing? Lead Stories has identified several of these clips in recent weeks and determined that many were AI-generated. The people and scenarios depicted there were not real -- social media accounts posted this kind of content to play on religious sentiment, driving likes and shares as…
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