Ai

Did Fox News post a story with the headline "FLORIDA MAN REFUSES TO PAY TAXES BECAUSE HE DID NOT PERSONALLY APPROVE ANY OF THE SPENDING"? No, that's not true: The account that originally posted the story is a satire page and states it is "totally made-up entertainment," where the "stories are just wild enough to almost be real." The claim…

Did First Lady Melania Trump make a public statement defending President Trump, saying 'what is happening to my husband goes far beyond ordinary criticism'? No, that's not true: The claim bears the hallmarks of so-called "Viet Spam" campaigns of nearly identical made-up clickbait stories, each featuring a different famous person, created to drive traffic to web pages based overseas, often…

Did Russian President Vladimir Putin say "Don't dare to touch the Strait of Hormuz" on April 1, 2026? No, that's not true: The posts attributing those words to him originated from self-described satire and parody accounts. The fake story was spreading across social media platforms paired with a well-known video meme showing Putin walking. The claim appeared in a post…

Did a microphone at a press briefing catch the audible sound of a fart from Pete Hegseth, the secretary of war? No, that's not true: The press briefing clip published by the Iranian Embassy in Kenya has been edited to include a fart sound effect. The original video published on Instagram on March 13, 2026, the day of the press…

Did official Iranian accounts publish a video of Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, walking into a military operations room? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that the video was ever posted to any official government account or any account closely linked to the government. The video showed signs of AI generation. The claim appeared in a post and…

Was a Florida man arrested after Polk County fire marshals discovered 600 gallons of unleaded gasoline stored in an above-ground swimming pool in his backyard? No, that's not true: The claim originated on a Facebook page that acknowledges its posts are "satire and parody stories." Other social media accounts copy and repost the content without the satire disclaimer. The claim…

Did viral posts share a real Trump Truth Social screenshot about a C-130 crash producing eight Air Force vacancies? No, that's not true: Trump did not post this message, according to Lead Stories' searches of his Truth Social account. No credible media organization reported Trump making such a statement. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on X where…

Did Donald Trump post a profanity-laced "unhinged" rant on his Truth Social, claiming he "graduated top of my class in the Navy Seals," along with other false statements? No, that's not true: The message does not appear on Trump's Truth Social account. It is a widely circulated internet meme known as a "copypasta" that has been online beginning in 2010.…

Did Donald Trump post on Truth Social that he would be "vaporizing an entire nation of ANIMALS" on Tuesday? No, that's not true: There is no evidence such a post was published on Trump's account. The profile description of the account that posted a screenshot of the non-existent Trump post stated its posts were for amusement, suggesting it is a…

Did a Texas televangelist send his congregation his Grindr account in an Easter morning e-card in April 2026? No, that's not true: The story originated in a post on X by a satirical account and was subsequently reshared on Facebook without the satire disclaimer. There are no reliable reports to support such an incident or claim. The claim appeared in…