Tesla

Did President Donald Trump speak to Fox News about a "Tesla medbed," calling it an "incredible piece of technology"? No, that's not true: Medbeds -- a term for a device that can carry out miraculous healing and age reversal and defy mortality -- do not exist. Footage which appeared to show Fox News host Kayleigh McEnany interviewing Trump on the…

Has the Tesla showroom in Manhattan, New York closed permanently as of March 19, 2025? No, that's not true: There is no evidence online that Tesla has closed its only Manhattan dealership. A Tesla employee at 860 Washington Street showroom told Lead Stories on Wednesday, March 19, 2025 that the location was still open. The claim appeared in a meme…

Does a viral video genuinely show a Tesla Cybertruck being crushed by a digger or excavator? No, that's not true: According to a detection tool, the video was generated using AI. The account that originally posted it has published several similar videos of cars being crushed or destroyed and offers links to a course about AI video creation and a…

Did Elon Musk announce that he had acquired MSNBC for $900 million to "put an end to toxic programming?" No, that's not true: A search of Musk's X account did not show this announcement from him on the days leading up to publication of the claim. As of March 14, 2025, no reliable news outlets were reporting what would have…

Did what social media posts described as "leaked Trump audio" from March 11, 2025, authentically capture the president calling Nicola Tesla "a modern-day Isaac Neutron"? No, that's not true: Two AI detectors found evidence that the audio was the product of voice cloning technology. The file originated from a deleted TikTok account and then was boosted by a user on…

Did President Donald Trump publish a post on X offering his "referral link" for a discount on a Tesla purchase? No, that's not true: The image purporting to show the Trump post was made-up. Searches across Trump's account on X and across news reports did not show any evidence he published the supposed offer in question. The claim appeared in…

Did "Democrat NGOs" set fire to Tesla Cybertrucks in Seattle on March 9, 2025? No, that's not true: The Seattle Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives told Lead Stories they are still investigating the overnight fires as of March 10, 2025. There is no evidence provided in a social media post that the fires on…

Did the Trump State Department come up with the idea to order $400 million worth of armored Tesla vehicles? No, that's not true: The original proposal to buy armored electric vehicles for the State Department came during the Biden administration in April 2024. The $400 million line item was included in a State Department Procurement Forecast Fiscal Year 2025 in…

Did the Canadian government threaten a "100 percent tariff on Tesla" in February 2025? No, that's not true: While the federal government in Ottawa was considering its options, the Department of Finance Canada said," The claim is false." Instead, proposals to impose a 100 percent tax on Teslas came from individual Canadian politicians, not the government itself. The implied claim…

Did Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo impose a 50 percent retaliatory tariff on Tesla cars sold in Mexico, calling Elon Musk "pendejo"? No, that's not true: As of February 4, 2025, Lead Stories found no credible media or government reports confirming that she ever said what social media attributed to her. U.S. President Donald Trump said on February 3, 2025,…