Does a viral image show a real journalistic article saying that Melania Trump used to work as a recreational drug seller at a New York City gay bar in the 1990s? No, that's not true: The writers named in the shared byline did not work together in 2021, the year the article claims to have been published. Lead Stories found…
Does a Trump administration counterterrorism strategy document mention "pro-transgender" groups and "We Will Kill You" on the same page? No, that's not true: The fabricated image cuts and pastes together different sections of the White House document "United States Counterterrorism Strategy 2026." This takes the information out of context and changes its emphasis. The claim appeared in a post and…
Was this viral image of a star-shaped UFO released by the Department of War in the UFO Files? No, that's not true: The UFO files released by the Trump administration do not include a color photo of a star-shaped UFO that appears to be hovering over water. The image was previously published on the internet on April 9, 2026, a…
Is a viral video that shows "never-before-seen" footage of an unidentified object moving in the sky near a helicopter flying, included in the UFO Files that were released by the Trump administration and the Department of War? No, that's not true: The black and white video does not appear in the publicly available UFO files released by the Trump administration…
Does a real video show declassified 1966 UFO footage of an octopus-like creature with 10 tentacles bouncing on the sea and flying off at great speed? No, that's not true: There is no credible evidence of such a historic sighting, and no reputable outlets have reported it. An AI detection tool also assessed the clip and concluded that "the video…
Did Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania switch to the Republican Party, saying, "I'm never gonna be a communist who believes men should use the girls' bathroom"? No, that's not true: The story originated on a Facebook page known for its satirical content, which carries the warning "Nothing on this page is real." The image supporting the claim is also…
Did actor Matthew McConaughey say or write that "if Kamala Harris had become president of the U.S., Trump would be in prison"? No, that's not true: The actor's representatives told Lead Stories that it was a fake quote. Such words did not appear on McConaughey's social media accounts or in credible media reports. The claim appeared in a post (archived…
Did California Governor Gavin Newsom really criticize a real Truth Social post that depicts Donald Trump touting a crypto-only casino with the same name as Trump's closed Atlantic City casino, Trump Castle? No, that's not true: There are two distinct fakes. First, Trump had never, as of May 6, 2026, posted on Truth Social about "trumpcastle.net". The screenshot of that…
Does a viral image show a real Canadian Broadcasting Corporation news report about a poll showing "89% of Canadians believe Donald Trump is to blame for Canada's struggling economy"? No, that's not true: The picture was first published by a satire account. Two online AI detectors suggested that the viral image was generated by AI. The claim originated from a…
In a real social media post, did President Donald Trump say, "I am very close to deciding if I will run again in 2028"? No, that's not true: The supposed post does not appear on the president's official Truth Social account, and there are no reliable reports that it ever did. While Trump has suggested the possibility of running for…
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