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 Facebook account that originally posted the story is a satire page. It states it is "totally made-up entertainment," where the "stories are just wild enough to almost be real." The…
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…
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 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…
Was former U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George detained on suspicion of treason? No, that's not true: The claim was posted by a self-described parody website and it offered no supporting evidence of truth. The Pentagon did confirm on April 2, 2026, that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth relieved George of his duties and asked him to retire, but…
Does a viral video of an inflatable Jesus doll floating in traffic capture a real-life event? No, that's not true: The clip was generated by AI. It was initially posted on social media by an account with a satire label. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published by the @drhingram account on X on April 2, 2026, under…
Did Oprah Winfrey try to buy Sen. John Fetterman's vote on the "Big Beautiful Bill" for $20 million? No, that's not true: The story originated on a Facebook page known for its satirical content. The image supporting the claim is stamped with a warning label that says: "Satire. EVERYTHING on this page is FICTION." The claim appeared in a post…
Oh, joy! It is the most wonderful day of the year (if you are a fact checker)... April Fool's Day is upon us, that day when every outlet, brand, influencer and Internet jokester under the sun tries to come up with something original to fool their audience with. Listing every effort at humor, satire, parody etc. on such a day…
Did country singer Jason Aldean walk off the set of Stephen Colbert's TV show over a joke about Donald Trump? No, that's not true: The story originated on a Facebook page known for its satirical content. The image supporting the claim is stamped with a warning label that says: "Satire. Nothing on this page is real." The claim appeared in…
Lead Stories is a fact checking website that is always looking for the latest false, misleading, deceptive or inaccurate stories, videos or images going viral on the internet.
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