Satire

Did a group of "radical libertarian NRA members" face off with ICE agents and their vehicles in Oregon, daring them to move an inch toward them? No, that's not true: A viral message making that claim in the wake of the Minneapolis shooting of a woman by an ICE agent originated on a satirical X.com account. There were no actual…

Did a "Lucas Mamdani", brother to New York City's mayor, buy properties with U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders to financially benefit from new city policies on affordable housing? No, that's not true: Lead Stories did not find evidence to support the existence of any sibling of Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The claim originated from a page with a satire label that was…

Did a federal Judge say the Treasury Department can take back $15 million of USAID money granted to companies owned by Sen. Adam Schiff? No, that's not true: This post originated from a website that produces satire content designed to fool conservatives. The post originally had a visible satire disclaimer but it has been reposted elsewhere with the disclaimer blurred…

False claims about the Charlie Kirk assassination, the Jeffrey Epstein files, and purported verbal gaffes by President Trump topped the list of most-read Lead Stories fact checks in 2025. Here are our most read fact checks of the past year, reflecting our reader's interest in finding out the truth about various viral stories. If you see something suspicious in 2026,…

Did Republican representative Jack Kimble make a post about other countries potentially invading the U.S. "if we ever had" a "highly corrupt leader" as President? No, that's not true: The post was satire from an account on X that pretends to be a non-existent Republican politician. A screenshot of the post that went viral did not identify the account as…

Did Disney announce in December 2025 that it would offer $10 tickets to the Disney World theme park? No, that's not true: The claim originated from a website with a satire label. As of this writing, neither the Disney World website nor credible media said anything about a price that low. The claim came from a video (archived here) published…

Did the White House confirm "Trump's impromptu visit to Walter Reed hospital" to receive "Dementia test of the year" award? No, that's not true: The story originated from a website that says it publishes satire content. The White House website said nothing about it. The claim first appeared in an article (archived here) published on December 19, 2025, by the…

Did Austria reveal the stage design for Eurovision 2026 is a swastika? No, that's not true: The image is fake and was posted by a satire account which says they have been "Spreading misinformation on the internet since 1827". On Dec. 16, 2025 eurovision.com announced German stage designer Florian Wieder has envisioned a stage in the shape of a curved…

Does a viral clip show real "transgender Providence Police Department spokesperson Lyle Culpepper" demanding that the public stop saying "the Brown shooter"? No, that's not true: The person in the video is comedian L.E. Staiman. In interviews, Staiman has said that he believes his videos are so absurd that people can easily understand they are parody and satire. The claim…

Is Kid Rock donating the proceeds of his next five shows to Turning Point USA in Charlie Kirk's honor? No, that's not true: The story originated on a satirical Facebook page that clearly labels its content as fake. The page's owner is known for tricking conservatives into liking and sharing fabricated posts. As of Dec. 18, 2025, Kid Rock has…