United States

Was it reported in November 2024 that every American was eligible for a $1,000 stimulus check to help combat skyrocketing credit card debt? No, that's not true: The government made no such announcement. An AI detector found substantial evidence that the voice track of a video saying so on social media is the product of artificial intelligence. The claim appeared…

Does a recording on social media show Jordan Peterson discussing Antarctica on "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast? No, that's not true: In the authentic Joe Rogan recording featuring Peterson, the Canadian psychologist does not mention Antarctica. AI detection tool True Media found substantial evidence the audio in the post was generated by AI. Lead Stories has previously fact checked similar…

Can a person get a concealed carry gun permit 100 percent online by just answering six simple questions? No, that's not true: To get the promoted New Hampshire Non-resident Pistol/Revolver License, the customer must still fill out the application and pay for one. Ads promising a Concealed Carry Permit "100% online" are misleading, actually offering an unnecessary "pre-qualifying" service. The…

Did Elon Musk permanently ban LGBTQ+ Pride content from X because "protecting kids comes first"? No, that's not true: The account that posted this incorrect information is from a self-described satirical Facebook page that explains, "We post SATIRE, nothing on this page is real." The word "SATIRE" is at the end of the post's caption. Lead Stories could not find…

Is the Pentagon spending $86 billion on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives? No, that's not true: The most recent budget request in April 2024 asked for $162 million. The Fox News guest who originally suggested the much higher number has since retracted her statement. The claim appeared in a post on X (archived here) on November 18, 2024. It said:…

Would President-elect Donald Trump's immigration plan have denied his son Barron citizenship in the United States? No, that's not true: Barron Trump's father is a U.S. citizen. While his mother Melania Trump was not yet a naturalized citizen when Barron was born in 2006 in New York City, she was a legal resident at the time. Thus under Trump's stated…

Did Arnold Schwarzenegger wear a T-shirt that said, "I didn't vote for the McFelon"? No, that's not true: The photo appearing to show that scene has been altered. The original photo showed Schwarzenegger wearing a plain black T-shirt without any slogan on it. The photo was taken in March 2024, at the 2024 Arnold Sports Festival UK, which was held…

Did Donald Trump post on his Truth Social account that MSNBC host Joe Scarborough "approached me like a scolded dog" during a post-election meeting at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence? No, that's not true: Lead Stories searched the president-elect's profile and found no evidence that he had written such a thing. A search of a site that archives Trump's Truth Social posts…

Was the Sephora company "a huge donor" to Donald Trump's 2024 campaign? No, that's not true: Neither the company nor any Sephora employee donated to the Trump campaign or Trump-favored political action committee, according to OpenSecrets.org. The company said in a statement: "Sephora does not make corporate donations to political candidates." Records show some Sephora employees did contribute to Kamala…

Did Fox News report that California Gov. Gavin Newsom will withhold California's $235 billion 2025 federal income tax? No, that's not true: A Fox News spokesperson told Lead Stories that this was not reported on Fox News. Also, the claim originally appeared on an account describing itself as "Raw Unfiltered Parody." The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on…

Did Vladimir Putin say in a televised address on November 17, 2024, that Russia could use nuclear weapons if Ukraine launches "a mass missile" to strike targets inside Russia? No, that's not true: A viral post on X reused footage from almost two months before November 2024, when reports said the Biden administration was removing a long-standing ban on the…

Did former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz tweet on X about "age gap dating" in November 2024? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that Gaetz ever made such a post. Also, the account that published a screenshot of the supposed Gaetz post later revealed online that it was fake. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on Threads…

Did Elon Musk sue TV show "The View" and co-host Whoopi Goldberg for $70 million because "They Lie About Me"? No, that's not true: This originated from SpaceX Fanclub, a Facebook page with a clear disclaimer that states, "We post SATIRE, nothing on this page is real." That has not prevented other pages from picking up the story and republishing…

Did Mike Tyson drape a Palestinian flag around his shoulders around the time of a boxing match? No, that's not true: Tyson's publicist confirmed that the photo of him appearing to wear the flag was "a fake." Online image analysis tools suggest the viral image may be the product of artificial intelligence. The photo appeared in a post (archived here)…

Is President-elect Donald Trump planning to abolish a tax credit for parents of "trans-species" children, or kids who identify as animals? No, that's not true: This originated on a social media account that clearly labels itself as "satire." No such tax credit is listed on the Internal Revenue Service's website. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) on TikTok…

Did ABC issue an "official statement" that it would not renew the contracts of "The View" hosts Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg because they are "too toxic"? No, that's not true: ABC told Lead Stories that this is false. There have been no credible reports that Behar or Goldberg's contracts would not be renewed as of November 15, 2024. The…

Did Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, commonly known as AOC, delete her pronouns from her account on X shortly after the 2024 election? No, that's not true: It happened months earlier. According to archived copies of the lawmaker's account, pronouns were most likely removed between November 2023 and May 2024. Ocasio-Cortez publicly confirmed that it had happened long before the election. The…

Have Visa, Etsy, Adobe, Android, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Mastercard, McDonald's, CVS Pharmacy, Home Depot and Walmart all stopped posting on Twitter, now called X? No, that's not true: There is no indication that the accounts named in this list have, in a coordinated fashion, stopped posting on the social media platform. Some of the accounts have not been very…

Did the trans child featured on a National Geographic cover later claim that "transgender activists" ruined their life? No, that's not true: There's no evidence that Avery Jackson ever said anything about transgender activists ruining their life. However, their mother has said that the cover story sparked mixed reactions and heated national rhetoric, some of which were unpleasant. The claim…

Did Prince Harry's son Archie die? No, that's not true: There has been no such announcement by the family or in the news media. The social media post implying this leads readers to an article that has nothing to do with Archie. The claim appeared in a post on Facebook (archived here) on November 12, 2024, with two photographs of…