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Did Sen. Mitt Romney threaten to leave the Republican Party and join the Democrats? No, that's not true: The Utah senator's spokesperson told Lead Stories there was "zero truth" to the claim. Romney filed paperwork in July 2023 that would allow him to seek re-election to the U.S. Senate as a Republican. The claim appeared in a post published on…

Did U.S. Navy SEALs take down a Florida child trafficking ring and arrest Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, as was livestreamed on Facebook by Child Parent Safety (Cps) News Network on July 25, 2023? No, that's not true: Presidential candidate DeSantis was not arrested, and the footage of a military operation was not live, but recycled footage taken from staged tactical…

Did NBC News report that the news outlet was told that several of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' classmates "vaguely referred to an event known as the 'muffin incident'"? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that NBC News published a claim about a "muffin incident" and DeSantis. The article posted by the news outlet on DeSantis the same day…

Does a pro-Ron DeSantis PAC ad use a real recording of former President Donald Trump's voice? No, that's not true: The audio of Trump used in the ad was created by artificial intelligence, the spokesperson for the political action committee told Lead Stories. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) published by Never Back Down on July 18, 2023,…

Did a young woman blindside former vice president Mike Pence while he was walking in a parade, hitting him squarely in the back of the head with a water balloon? No, that's not true: The video shows the Stewart Manor 4th of July Parade in Hempstead, New York, where throwing water balloons is part of a long standing tradition --…

Did Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' high school yearbook photo have a quote underneath that reads, "My Mount Rushmore is Jesus, Sir-Mixes-a-Lot, and Nintendo 64"? No, that's not true: The photo in a post making that claim is real, but "there is no quote within the yearbook photo beneath Governor DeSantis' photo," according to a representative from the county where DeSantis…

Does a viral video portray an intense exchange between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, one of the 2024 Republican presidential candidates, and an audience member who swore at him during a campaign event? No, that's not true: The authentic video material was paired with an audio track containing words that were never said in public during that town hall. The story…

Does a photo circulating on social media show pop star Lady Gaga endorsing Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign on his social media application Truth Social? No, that's not true: The image has been digitally altered. The original photo does not come from a real post on Truth Social and was taken by a Getty Images photographer. The photo actually displays…

Does this video actually show damage to a Paris building from a gas explosion last month, as a Twitter Community Note suggests? No, that's not true: This video shows the collapse of a pharmacy building in the town of Montargis, France. The fire had been set by vandals and looters in the night, and the smoldering building finally collapsed on…

Was there a massive vote discrepancy found in the 2022 Arizona midterm election? No, that's not true: An election expert told Lead Stories the claims of vote discrepancy were "100% false." The Arizona Secretary of State spokesperson said the claim falsely used a "static" voter registration list versus a list that showed accurate updates from election day that provides information…

Do flaws in a mock-up of a purported Hunter Biden message to a Chinese businessman prove it is not authentic? No, that's not true: Although Lead Stories can't vouch for its overall validity, the details of the message accurately reflect a whistleblower interview by the House Ways And Means Committee on May 26, 2023, by Gary Shapley, a supervisory special…

Does a "photo" show Donald Trump "in his 50's," then a businessman, "dancing with a 13 year old girl"? No, that's not true: That is not a photo -- it is an image artificially created by algorithms. The story appeared in a tweet (archived here) published on June 14, 2023. The caption said: .@RepMTG Hey Marge, here's a photo Of…

Did former U.S. President Donald Trump write in a post shared to his social media platform Truth Social that as president he "enforced the USA's classified document laws very powerfully," that he asked "LOYAL aide Walt Nauta" to pack his personal papers before he left the White house, and that he wished Nauta "Good Luck" in court? No, that's not…

Did Judge Aileen Cannon, who was assigned to the Donald Trump documents case, appear at a September 3, 2022, political rally for the former president in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania? No, that's not true: There's no evidence to suggest she was at the event but a glib caption for a picture used in a Slate article about Trump and his judicial appointees…

Is this photo an accurate depiction of former President Donald Trump on a golf course on June 6, 2023? No, that's not true: The image in this post has been digitally altered to make it appear as if Trump has aged noticeably and gained weight. The actual photo, initially taken by a photojournalist in 2022 and seen in multiple credible…

Was a website that posted photos from Hunter Biden's laptop shut down for distributing child porn? No, that's not true: The social media account that originated the claim routinely posts satire. The tweet that began the claim was deleted from the account and a reply to the tweet read, "Folks, this is satire." The claim appeared as a post (archived…

Are conservatives or Republicans now taking issue with "manufactured" rainbows that appear when there is water spray from a fountain? No, that's not true: This viral 2007 video of unscientific musings about rainbows was mashed up and posted to mock conservative Republicans in 2023. In the original video, the person's political party affiliation is not readily apparent. Remixed in 2023,…

Did seven people show up for former President Donald Trump in Iowa as the 2024 election season began? No, that's missing context: The video of Trump with seven people was taken inside a radio station office where he was recording an interview -- it was not an event open to the public. He spoke at public events in Iowa that…

Is presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis selling a "Make America Florida" hat? No, that's not true: This hat is not available on DeSantis' official online store. A separate shop that is not officially associated with DeSantis' campaign is selling the hat. The separate shop has a disclaimer that states the site is "Not Authorized by any Candidate or…

Did Florida governor and 2024 presidential candidate Ron DeSantis post a picture at an event showing George Soros, a billionaire philanthropist who is often the subject of conspiracy theories, in the background? No, that's not true: The original image, posted in a tweet by media personality John Cardillo, was altered to include a person resembling Soros. The claim appeared in…