Politics

Did Hope Walz, daughter of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, receive $82,000 in student loan forgiveness despite her parents being worth $138 million? No, that's not true: The claim originates from a website that clearly labels its work as satire, parody and fiction. The claim is not based on any factual evidence, nor is her parents' reported net worth anywhere near…

Did a viral video authentically document enforcing COVID-19 lockdowns in Minnesota in 2020 on orders of Gov. Tim Walz? No, that's not true: The video showing law enforcement using what appear to be paintball guns was taken when state authorities imposed curfews and mobilized the National Guard in response to the aftermath of that year's George Floyd protests. The person…

Did Mel Gibson accuse Oprah Winfrey of selling children? No, that's not true: "None of this is true," Gibson's longtime publicist told Lead Stories. The post offered no evidence for the claim that the Hollywood actor was "gearing up" to confront Winfrey. Had Gibson done so it would have been extensively covered by the news media. The claim appeared in…

Did former President Donald Trump fly on one of Jeffrey Epstein's planes? Yes, but that is missing context: The private jet that Trump flew on for campaign events on August 10, 2024, was a Gulfstream that was previously owned by sex offender Epstein and is now a leased aircraft under private ownership. This is not the same aircraft that was…

Did a video shared to TikTok show a genuine ad for "Actors needed" to attend an Arizona rally for U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris in August 2024? No, that's not true: Versions of the supposed ad circulated online since at least 2018, often with posters making unproven connections to events either in support of or opposition to former President…

Did Tim Walz coach the ninth-grade football team instead of the high school team that won a state championship and was he fired from that coaching position after getting a DUI? No, that's not true: Walz was one of the coaches for the Mankato West High School team that won the Minnesota state championship in 1999. He was never fired…

Did Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz give a 9/11 anniversary speech in which he claimed that while serving in the National Guard he "stood one night in the dark of night at Bagram Air Base in Iraq", seemingly unaware Bagram is in Afghanistan? No, that's not true: Video of his speech shows Walz only said he was at "Bagram," not "Bagram…

Did the Kamala Harris campaign produce an AI image of a fake rally crowd and then distribute that picture? No, that's not true: The image in question was first published on the internet by a self-described parody account not affiliated with her campaign. That parody account subsequently posted again to say that the picture was "generated with AI." Lead Stories…

Did 113 non-citizens vote in Washington, D.C., in the June 2024 primary election that included presidential primary balloting? Yes, but saying they voted in the "2024 Presidential Primary" is misleading, according to a spokesperson for the D.C. elections board who said non-citizen D.C. residents cannot cast ballots for presidential candidates. Their ballots only contained checkboxes for local offices, as is…

Did CNN live stream the July 13, 2024, Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when they have never live-streamed any of Trump's other political rallies? No, that's not true: A spokesperson for CNN told Lead Stories that there was not an internet live stream of that specific rally, but CNN television was covering the rally. The spokesperson also noted that CNN…

Did Donald Trump freeze for 21 seconds during a speech at a rally in Bozeman, Montana? No, that's not true: He was speaking when he saw there was a situation in the crowd, then paused his speech and called for a doctor to assist. Trump did not immediately resume his speech but continued to speak reassuring words to the people…

Is a photo showing French President Emmanuel Macron kissing a man authentic? No, that's not true: The photo in this post was digitally altered to change the original image and make it appear like Macron was intimate with another man. In public media accounts, the unedited image displayed Macron play-fighting with his bodyguard while on vacation -- not kissing him.…

Is an image from a Kamala Harris political rally in Detroit a "FAKE AI PHOTO" because the reflection on the plane's engine and fuselage doesn't show a crowd? No, that's not true: the reflection on the plane's engine can be explained by a basic law of physics as the plane sits at an angle relative to the crowd so the…

Did Donald Trump or his campaign still owe $12,000 in landing fees to the Bozeman airport and was that the reason he diverted his plane to Billings, Montana on Friday, August 9, 2024? No, that's not true: The Bozeman Airport Authority formally denied Trump or his campaign had any outstanding debts to them and said the diversion had to do…

Did a viral video show authentic property records proving that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his wife bought an Italian villa from singer Sting for 75 million euros? No, that's not true: A screenshot of what looked like a document allegedly confirming the transaction was forged. When Lead Stories accessed the Italian property records database, authentic documents contained no traces…

Did a Jewish family hire Thomas Matthew Crooks to shoot former President Donald Trump? Or was Crooks trained to shoot by the CEO of BlackRock Security or by a rabbi? Has footage been leaked showing Crooks and the BlackRock CEO together carrying a gun? No, none of these claims are true: Using an AI-detection tool, Lead Stories found that the…

Was an image of a Kamala Harris political rally in Detroit digitally altered to boost the size of the crowd? No, that's not true: The August 2024 campaign rally was widely covered by TV networks and other media, which showed a crowd of thousands of people, consistent with the image that was questioned. Lead Stories obtained the original digital image…

Does a social media video show police apprehending a elderly man on a scooter who was involved in a "far-right" riot in the United Kingdom in 2024? No, that's not true: At least two media organizations have reported that this video shows a police incident in Amsterdam in 2022. This video footage does not show a participant in one of…

Did several non-citizens living in a Georgia apartment complex illegally register and vote, as is claimed in a video Elon Musk sent to 193 million X users? No, that's not true: The Georgia Secretary of State's office confirmed there is no public record that they registered or voted. Lead Stories Español staff went to the Norcross, Georgia, apartment building and…

Did Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz sign a bill "allowing gender reassignment surgery for children"? No, that's not true: No state law sets a specific minimum age for gender-affirming surgical interventions, a Minnesota lawmaker told Lead Stories. Major health care providers do not operate on people under 18. One bill signed into law protects youth access to those services discussed in…