&Quot;Barack Obama&Quot;

Does a combination of former President Barack Obama's portrait and its mirrored version produce an image of a goat-like figure? No, that's not true: The image was digitally manipulated. The altered picture was shared by an account with a long history of spreading false claims. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on X, formerly known as Twitter, by…

Does a photo on social media show former President Donald Trump's May 23, 2024, political rally in the Bronx? No, that's not true: The image does not depict the New York City borough. Instead, it shows a 2008 campaign event in St. Louis by then-presidential nominee Barack Obama, which news reports at the time said drew 90,000 people. The claim…

Did a jeering crowd chant "Fuck Joe Biden" at the president as he was leaving church with his granddaughter on Mother's Day? No, that's not true: The audio on this video clip has been edited to add the sound of an aggressive crowd chanting. In the original C-SPAN video there is no sound of a chanting crowd. One reporter called…

Are images of former first lady Michelle Obama with a bulge under her dress real? No, that's not true: The images used in a social media post that show bulges are altered and one zoomed in picture does not actually show a bulge. Lead Stories located the original photos which do not show bulges. The claim appeared in a post…

Is a picture of Malia and Sasha Obama with Anita Blanchard and Martin Nesbitt an authentic photo of the Obama daughters with their "real parents," as a social media post claims? No, that's not true: It's a composite made up of separate pictures of the Obama daughters and Anita Blanchard and Martin Nesbitt. Blanchard and Nesbitt are close friends of…

Did Mel Gibson release a video of satanic rituals taking place on "Jeffrey Epstein's island"? No, that's not true: "He has nothing to do with this and has no knowledge of it," Gibson's publicist told Lead Stories about a social media post making this claim. There is no evidence given in the post that such a video even exists. The…

Is Michelle Obama running for president in 2024? No, that's not true: The former first lady has said in multiple interviews over the years that she will not run for president. Michelle Obama is not a candidate for president in 2024, according to the official list of candidates from the Federal Election Commission. The claim appeared in a video (archived…

Is the photo that shows Michelle Obama as "a man" authentic? No, that's not true: The image of Obama is doctored, making her features appear more masculine. She posted the picture with then-President Barack Obama on her official Instagram page in 2014 and it does not show her looking male. The claim appeared in a video on Instagram on December…

Did Barack and Michelle Obama visit "Epstein Island" and pose for a photo with their daughters with the iconic and blue and white striped building of Epstein Island in the background? No, that's not true: This photo has been altered to add the blue and white striped building. This old family photo, with a birthday greeting for Barack Obama, was…

Was an American soldier holding a "China flag" when President Joe Biden met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in California unusual or a breach of protocol as implied by a tweet from Graham Allen? No, that's not true: A State Department spokesperson told Lead Stories that anytime a foreign leader is hosted in the United States, a member of the…