United States

Did an image shown to the public by U.S. President Donald Trump during a May 21, 2025 meeting with his South African counterpart in the Oval Office capture a mass burial of "white farmers" in that country? No, that's not true: The image was a screenshot of Reuters footage showing a different country. The recording captured humanitarian workers assisting with…

Was pro-Trump Cuban activist Hector Luis Valdes Cocho detained by ICE and held for possible deportation from the United States? Yes, that's true: Valdes Cocho, who was exiled from Cuba to the U.S. in 2022 because of his political activism, was initially arrested in November 2024, on state fraud and traffic charges in Florida. ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)…

Did Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson accept a $2.1 million bribe from George Soros, in the form of a vacation home in Italy? No, that's not true: That rumor originated on the Dunning-Kruger Times, a website that describes its own content as satirical. The article included fabricated quotes from "Joe Barron", a fake persona that features regularly as an…

Did the actor Will Smith testify during the trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs in May 2025? No, that's not true: The claim appeared in a YouTube video whose description labeled it "fictional". Despite widespread and intensive news coverage, no outlet covering the trial has mentioned any testimony by Smith. The rumor appeared in a May 22, 2025, video on YouTube…

Was a story about Bruce Springsteen's royalties "tanking" because of a radio boycott of his catalog that also mentioned "WDKT Baltimore Morning Drive DJ Joey Barron" real? No, that's not true: A viral meme that included a fictional DJ and radio station originated on a satirical Facebook page. The owner of the page is known for tricking conservatives into liking…

Did a viral video really show Pope Leo XIV publicly criticizing JD Vance for his reaction to former President Joe Biden's cancer announcement? No, that's not true: The clip used AI-generated sound to make it appear the Pope scolded Vance for attacking Biden with "cold, calculated words" and lacking "human compassion". No actual news websites reported that the Pope publicly…

Did the footage shown to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on May 21, 2025 in the Oval Office capture a mass grave of "over 1,000 of white farmers", as claimed by U.S. President Donald Trump? No, that's not true: The video showed a 2020 temporary memorial, not a burial site. People who participated in the memorial demonstration did not refer…

Did Representative Ilhan Omar fail to condemn the shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers at the Capital Jewish Museum, as a social media post implied? No, that's not true: The Minnesota congresswoman posted she was appalled by the shooting and offered thoughts and prayers to the families in a post on X at 9:17 AM Pacific Time on May 22,…

Did Pete Townsend from The Who say Bruce Springsteen should "shut up and play" in May 2025? No, that's not true: The fabricated quotation originated on a Facebook page that describes its content as satirical. Earlier in the month, Springsteen criticized President Donald Trump on stage at a concert in Manchester, England. The fake quotation appeared in a May 21,…

Did the Venezuelan government donate $22.9 million for an apartment to be built on top of Barack Obama's Presidential Library? No, that's not true: A meme making that claim originated on a Facebook page with a satire disclaimer. The owner of the page is known for tricking conservatives into liking and sharing made-up content. The meme appeared in a post…

Did a photograph shared online show the victims of a May 21, 2025 shooting outside a Jewish museum in Washington D.C.? No, that's not true: The Israeli embassy named Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim as the two embassy staff shot dead. The picture in question showed two men, neither of them Lischinsky, holding Israeli flags. The claim appeared in…

Did Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-NJ, start singing "You Fight On" during a CNN interview about her recent arrest on an assault charge at an ICE facility? No, that's not true: The purported video of the spontaneous singing was digitally created by the administrator of a parody account on X.com. The video's creator acknowledged this in a post, and the account…

Do viral videos authentically show the British porn actress known as Bonnie Blue being arrested? No, that's not true: The police vehicle is painted to look like police cars in Britain, but licensed to a prop service that provides cars to film and video makers. If the actress, born Tia Emma Billinger, had been arrested, England's notoriously competitive press corps…

Did the Pentagon in May of 2025 approve acquisition of a "Qatari-built jet" to be the next Air Force One? No, that's not true: There is no aircraft manufacturing industry in Qatar that could make a jet of that size. The Pentagon on May 21, 2025 announced it had approved President Trump's plan to accept a Boeing 747 as a…

Did recording artist Usher testify during the trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs in May 2025? No, that's not true, as of May 21: The claim appeared in a YouTube video whose description labeled it "fictional". Despite widespread and intensive news coverage, no outlet covering the trial has mentioned any testimony by him. The rumor appeared in a May 20, 2025,…

Did Attorney General Pam Bondi say "It's illegal to call yourself 'The Boss' if you're not in charge of the entire country"? No, that's not true: A fake Fox News graphic containing the fabricated quote originated on the Facebook page of someone who calls himself a "satirist" and "comedian." We found no corroboration for the fake quotation, which was a…

Did Attorney General Pam Bondi threaten to prosecute anyone calling President Trump "Clown Prince Trump" and was this reported on Fox News? No, that's not true: A viral image making that claim originated on a satirical Facebook page. It contained several hints that were hard to discern on a phone screen, such as a "Fox Mews" logo and a "Braking…

Did Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. testify before Congress that "China is putting gay chemicals in the vapes, coupled with fruity pina colada flavoring agents"? No, that's not true: The video uses generative AI to imitate Kennedy's voice and mouth movements, but it ends with a screen of text that says it is a deepfake. The account on which the video…

Does a viral image show Karmelo Anthony attending prom with someone wearing a dress made out of banknotes despite a criminal investigation into fatal stabbing charges in Texas? No, that's not true: The person in the image is not him. The X account in which the photos and claim appeared labels itself a parody account. Previously, a local news outlet…

Did comedian Mo'Nique testify during the trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs in May 2025? No, that's not true: That claim appeared in a YouTube video whose description labeled the claim "fictional". Despite widespread and intensive news coverage, no outlet covering the trial has mentioned any testimony by her. The rumor appeared in a May 19, 2025, video on YouTube (archived…