Deep State

Does a viral video claiming to show a strike on a U.S. military base in Jordan or the Gulf actually show such an attack? No, that's not true: Lead Stories' analysis found multiple inconsistencies pointing to AI, including a fake U.S. flag missing all 50 stars that represent the 50 states. The video did not originate from a credible media…

Does a photo show "Halach Boome," a real pilot from the Israeli Air Force who took out Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei? No, that's not true: An online detection tool rated the image as 100% likely to be AI-generated, and it contains a watermark from an AI image generator. The creator of the image later posted he "memed" the…

Does a video show an American soldier named Bishop in "the Gulf" crying because his shattered phone screen prevents him from seeing his daughter's face? No, that's not true: The clip is AI-generated and comes from a social media page known for posting fake videos. It contains several AI "hallucinations" and red flags typical of AI-generated content, such as distorted…

Did Waffle House announce plans to put floating restaurants on lakes across the southeastern United States to serve boaters, anglers, and waterfront homes? No, that's not true: A Waffle House official told Lead Stories there were no such plans. An image of a floating Waffle House in the middle of a lake, surrounded by boats, was generated by an artificial…

Are these real photos of OnlyFans model and social media influencer Maria Julissa and Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader killed by the Mexican Army? No, that's not true: On her Instagram account, Maria Julissa said, "The information circulating is false and unfounded." Also, an AI detection tool said the images were edited or generated…

Does a viral panoramic image really show Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, during the unrest that followed the killing of drug lord Nemesio Oseguera? No, that's not true: What looked like a Google Earth image was digitally modified to add fires. According to Google and two online detectors, the picture with buildings on fire was created using generative AI tools. The claim…

Did the family of Epstein's late survivor Virginia Giuffre, Stephen Colbert or Elon Musk spend millions of dollars to file a lawsuit against U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and other people? No, that's not true: A federal court database showed no such case filed by Giuffre's surviving brother, and credible media organizations did not publish any reports of such a…

Is the business featured in a recent video by Dr. Mehmet Oz related to hospice and home care fraud in Los Angeles? No, that's not true: The business is a family-owned and operated bakery and market and there is no evidence that implicates the business in any fraud prosecution or to the hospice and home care industry. Several other businesses…

Has a video interview of Alex Pretti talking about how he kicked out the taillight of an SUV used by federal agents emerged and sent "shockwaves through the public"? No, that's not true: No such video has been found. The quotes are all made up. The website and Facebook pages spreading the claim are part of a spam network based…

Did Stevie Nicks, Tom Brady, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Elon Musk, or dozens of other entertainers, sports stars, or media figures defend Donald Trump from accusations he's authoritarian and trying to cancel elections? No, that's not true: The identical story is told about at least 55 celebrities who purportedly said "This disorder is being used to scare Americans. To convince…