Is it true that Fox News Channel did not air the impeachment proceedings on Wednesday, February 10, 2021? No, that's not true: Fox News aired the impeachment from the beginning at 12 p.m. EST to 5 p.m. EST, and then cut away at 5 p.m. to air the network's "The Five" panel talk show. While the proceedings were on Fox…

Did Mike Lindell say Capitol rioters were "drugged by antifa sluts"? No, that's not true: The claim was made in an article posted to a satire website with completely made-up quotes from Lindell, the CEO of MyPillow. The claim appeared as an article (archived here) where it was published by The Business News Standard on February 5, 2021, under the…

Did former President Donald Trump say, "Poor Kids are just as bright and talented as White kids"? No, that's not true:Then-Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden made the comment in 2019 while campaigning in Iowa. The claim appeared in a Facebook post (archived here) published February 2, 2021, which opened: "Poor kids are just as bright and talented as white kids."…

Did U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene say, "If English was good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for us?" No, that's not true: There is no evidence the Republican freshman from Georgia ever made that comment. It is a quote that is often attributed to the first female governor of Texas, Miriam Amanda "Ma" Ferguson, who was elected in 1924,…

Did California pass a law that bans the Holy Bible? No, that's not true: A video posted in late 2020 recycles 2018 video clips of One America News host Liz Wheeler claiming a law in the Golden State would outlaw the Bible. The bill Wheeler described in the two-year-old clip would have curbed paid "homosexual conversion therapy" but was withdrawn…

Is a video of buses at the U.S. Capitol evidence of an operation against lawmakers? Does it show anything unexpected? No, that's not true: There's no publicly available evidence to support the idea that lawmakers were the target of a military operation. A National Guard official told Lead Stories that what's seen in the video would be consistent with a…

Did outgoing President Donald Trump leave a letter for his successor, Joe Biden, that said "Joe, you know I won"? No, that's not true: The letter is not real. Speaking at the White House, Biden told reporters that Trump left him a "very generous letter." There are also several discrepancies between the fake letter and other recent letters known to…

Does a photo show two people fumigating the Trump Oval Office after he left? No, that's not true: A picture posted shortly after Trump left the White House for the last time as president features two people in full hazmat suits fumigating the Oval Office. However, the photo is not of the Trump Oval Office -- the blue carpet shown…

Was a military marching band practicing the song "Hit The Road Jack" in preparation of President Trump's imminent departure? No, that's not true: video footage posted to Twitter by CNN journalist Jim Acosta showing the band practicing a different song was later overlaid with an audio track from a different marching band apparently from Ohio (probably as a joke by…

Did Donald Trump settle multiple child rape cases for millions of dollars? No, that's not true: A claim has gone viral again that there is a list of payments Trump made to settle rape accusations brought against him by male and female minors. There is no evidence of the cases ever having been filed against Trump and no proof the…

Does a photo show U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert on a group tour in Washington, D.C., in January 2021? No, that's not true: The photo was taken more than a year earlier, at a 2019 rally in Colorado. The claim appeared in a Facebook post (archived here) published by "Will Watkins" on January 13, 2021. The post included a short introductory…

Did former politician Trey Gowdy say "If you're okay with rigging an election, I'm ok with martial law to stop you" as several social media posts are claiming? No, that's not true: there is no record of Gowdy ever saying these words, they do not appear on his social media accounts or in news reports about Gowdy. Gowdy denied to…

Are U.S. governors' names on a leaked list of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) members? No, that's not true: Although there are credible reports of a leaked CCP database, people with direct knowledge of the list told Lead Stories no governors are on it. The claim appeared in an article (archived here) published by the Hal Turner Radio Show on December…

Did Sen. Lindsey Graham and Joe Biggs, a leader of the Proud Boys, which the Southern Poverty Law Center has designated as a hate group, take a photo together shortly before supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021? No, that's not true: The photo in question, in which both Graham and Biggs…

Does this video show "fully armed military units ... moving in Texas USA"? This video is presented without any evidence about where it was recorded or when. Because of the lack of information, it is impossible to draw conclusions about these vehicles at a truck stop or whether they, as claimed, are loaded with live ammunition. Many of the captions…

Are these 57 counties of thousands in the United States "needed" to win the Electoral College? No, that's misleading: A map showing 14 states that include 57 populous counties as a potential path to 270 Electoral College votes is not correct -- those states and thereby the counties in them are not necessary to win the election. In 2016 Donald…

Would President Donald Trump lose lifetime benefits if impeached? No, that's not true: To lose such benefits, he'd also have to be convicted and removed from office. Impeachment is a process. The House of Representatives first votes on articles of impeachment. If a majority of members votes to impeach, the question moves to the Senate, which holds a trial. If…

Does this video show the Trump family and others having a party while watching television coverage of the assault on the U.S. Capitol building? No, that's not true: This video, posted on the account of Donald Trump Jr., shows the scene inside the backstage tent in the moments before Donald Trump went on stage to speak to supporters gathered at…

Is the White House pardons office soliciting Trump supporters involved in the January 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection to apply for presidential pardons? No, that's not true: Parler posts posing as being from White House pardons attorneys were fake, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The pardons office "does not have a social media presence and is not involved in…

Did Alabama man Kevin Greeson die after accidentally tasing himself inside the U.S. Capitol during the January 6, 2021, insurrection? No, this claim is based on a fake statement purported to be from Greeson's family. The real family statement said he suffered a heart attack, and did not say it was triggered when he accidentally tasered "himself in the balls."…