Colin Powell

Does a video show authentic clips of world leaders speaking frankly about controversial narratives? No, that's not true: The video clip was posted with disclaimers in the caption and in the video itself clearly stating it is AI-generated. It was produced and published by RT, a state-controlled network funded by the Russian government. The video appears in a post (archived…

Did Arlington National Cemetery remove Gen. Colin Powell's profile from the cemetery's website in March 2025? A spokesperson for the cemetery told Lead Stories that the cemetery had removed a category relating to African-American service members, but that Powell's profile had been moved to two different sections of the website. Lead Stories confirmed Powell was still present in the sections…

Is former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell accurately credited with a "lazy immigrants" quote often shared on social media? No, that's not true: The quote was first published on social media in 2019 by a user on X who acknowledged having written it. There is no record of the former general publicly sharing this sentiment. The Foreign Service Institute…

Do grainy photos show that former President George W. Bush and other key Department of Defense staff met with Osama bin Laden before the September 11, 2001, attacks? No, that's not true: These photos, which were taken the day after the attacks, have been altered. High-quality photos taken at a meeting held inside the Pentagon show Deputy Secretary of Defense…

Did Colin Powell, the first Black secretary of state and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, commit suicide? No, that's not true: That claim is not supported by any news coverage of his death, by any statements from his family or officials or by any medical evidence. The Associated Press and other news organization stated that Powell died from…

Did former Secretary of State and retired Army General Colin Powell urge "the U.S. military to recall [retired Army Lieutenant General] Michael Flynn and put him on military trial for sedition?" No, that's not true: There is no record of Gen. Powell attacking Lt. Genn. Flynn in such a public statement, but Powell's former chief of staff retired U.S. Army…