Did a person who is not a U.S. citizen or even a resident arrive in New York City two days before the election and vote for Mamdani for mayor? No, that's not true: The poster admitted that it was a joke post. To debunk their own joke, they showed where they found the picture of a ballot showing Zohran Mamdani's…
Was there a massive walkout at the NYPD the day after a new mayor was elected in New York City? No, that's not true: "There is no walkout," a spokesperson with the NYPD told Lead Stories. The claim was made by a congressional candidate based in Texas without any proof or evidence. There are no actual news reports of the…
Did retired Harvard Law School professor Alan Dershowitz publicly promise to "blow his brains out on live TV" if Zohran Mamdani wins the 2025 mayoral election in New York City? No, that's not true: Dershowitz denied that on his social media account. A search for the origins of the image showing the purported quote led to a summer 2025 story…
Is the repeated appearance of a candidate's name on election ballots in the 2025 New York City mayoral election against the rules? No, that's not true: New York City Board of Elections staff told Lead Stories that those candidates are the nominees of two political parties. That can legally include running as the nominee of two officially recognized parties or…
Did a video of a social media user claiming to be about to cast a ballot for Zohran Mamdani "six or seven times" in the 2025 New York City mayoral election capture a self-incriminating admission of voter fraud? No, that's not true: The clip was part of a viral trend in which people would post videos of themselves saying "six…
Did Lady Gaga, Kelly Clarkson, Avril Lavigne, Miranda Lambert, Vince Gill, Derek Hough, Brandon Lake, Cliff Richard, athletes Dak Prescott and Lamar Jackson and other celebrities ask for their footage to be removed from Netflix over LGBTQ content? No, that's not true: There are multiple social media posts showing different celebrities and athletes with a message that they told Netflix…
Do viral videos show an authentic disclaimer warning people that what they are about to see is a "trampling incident" during the 2025 Oktoberfest and that this footage is not appropriate for audiences below 18 years old? No, that's not true: The banner saying that is engagement bait. Those videos do not show what the warning says they do. No…
Does a picture widely shared on social media authentically show partial demolition of the East Wing of the White House in October 2025? Yes, it does: The photo was first published by the Washington Post.. The image showed no signs of generative AI or other inconsistencies characteristic of recycled unrelated visuals. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published…
Did Alexander Turbanov, an Israeli man who was held prisoner by Hamas, make a statement sympathizing with his captors upon his release? No, that's not true: This made-up quote went viral on Feb. 15, 2025 and resurfaced in Oct. 2025. The man in question is not named Turbanov, his name is Alexander Troufanov. The quote attributed to Troufanov was posted…
Did Danica Patrick donate $7 million to the Turning Point USA Super Bowl halftime show? No, that's not true: There is no proof that the former NASCAR driver has donated $7 million to the show that Turning Point USA announced they would host as an alternative to the official 2026 Super Bowl halftime show starring Bad Bunny. Patrick is a…
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