Fact Check

Does a viral video of a woman complaining that she is being forced to sell her BMW to prevent her food stamps allotment being cut from "$4K to 888 month" show a real-life situation? No, that's not true: The clip was initially posted by an account with a satire label. Previously, its author already said that "none of that is…

Did posts on social media show an authentic warning from "the Homicide Bureau" searching for suspects named "Megan Brown" and "Jose Alex Ramirez", wanted in connection with the death of a baby named "Yolanda Clinton"? No, that's not true: The identically worded entries were shared in local groups on Facebook across different, unrelated jurisdictions, but no credible media organization reported…

Did Serbian authorities use a type of sonic weapon against protesters in Belgrade, causing a man to have a heart attack and later die? Here's what we know: The claim that authorities fired an acoustic weapon during a moment of silence at a huge anti-government rally on March 15, 2025, could not be independently verified by Lead Stories. But an…

Did lawmakers in the United States pass new legislation in March 2025, allowing women to retire at the age of 52, with monthly payments of $4,850, regardless of their previous occupations? No, that's not true: neither the White House website, nor any federal government website, contained mentions of any such law. A Google News search also yielded no relevant entries.…

Did the website of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) remove an article about Army Major General Charles Calvin Rogers who received the Medal of Honor for his actions in Vietnam? Here's what we know: The 2021 article now appears on the DOD website again, but for a while the link did redirect to a 404 page hosted at the…

Does a viral video genuinely show a Tesla Cybertruck being crushed by a digger or excavator? No, that's not true: According to a detection tool, the video was generated using AI. The account that originally posted it has published several similar videos of cars being crushed or destroyed and offers links to a course about AI video creation and a…

Was the story about about Rosie O'Donnell's application for residency in Ireland being denied by the Irish Department of Justice real news? No, that's not true: The story originated on a website with a clear satire disclaimer. It is run by a man known for tricking conservatives into liking and sharing made up content. The story appeared in an article…

Does a viral image authentically show European leaders taking off their suit coats in support of Ukraine during a group picture? No, that's not true: The image is likely a screenshot from a video that was digitally edited, possibly using AI. Actual footage of the moment the group picture was taken did not show anyone taking off their suit and…

Did President Trump post on Truth Social that he was going to "annexe Alaska" after Greenland, in order to make it the "53rd State" and did he say "the people of Alaska don't want to be part of a backward nation in Canada?" No, that's not true: Viral screenshots of such a post are fake. Trump's actual Truth Social account…

Did a man named "Arnold Bushman" light himself on fire to protest "Disney making the little mermaid black"? No, that's not true: A tweet from October 2024 with that claim was screenshotted and went viral again in early 2025. However the image in the post showed a man named Aaron Bushnell who immolated himself in February 2024 to protest the…

Does a viral video prove that someone in the audience at a Kennedy Center concert yelled "Kill that Vice!" at U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance as he entered the concert hall? No, that's not true: The sentence in question is not clearly audible in the viral recording. When played at a reduced speed, it appears to end with "light" or…

Did Warren Buffett say President Trump is making the best financial decisions in 50 years? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that Buffet praised Trump saying he was making stellar financial decisions in March 2025. A search of Google did not return any matching credible news stories. Buffett did blast Trump's tariffs on an interview with CBS News…

Is there a legitimate warning circulating about a girl named "Amy Sharp" allegedly on the run and charged with the murder of a baby named "Courtney Chatfield"? No, that's not true: Despite what viral social media posts say, the girl is not on the run in various locations and she was not charged with murder. The posts are part of…

Did Elon Musk announce that he has acquired MSNBC for $900 million to "put an end to toxic programming?" No, that's not true: A search of Musk's X account did not show this announcement from him on the days leading up to publication of the claim. As of March 14, 2025, no reliable news outlets were reporting what would have…

Did what social media posts described as "leaked Trump audio" from March 11, 2025, authentically capture the president calling Nicola Tesla "a modern-day Isaac Neutron"? No, that's not true: Two AI detectors found evidence that the audio was the product of voice cloning technology. The file originated from a deleted TikTok account and then was boosted by a user on…

Is a viral Facebook post legitimately warning people about an "18 year old boy known as MONICO ORONA" who supposedly stabbed "Ryan Tyler" and "Chloe Tyler" to death? No, that's not true: There are dozens of such posts going around, all mentioning different locations, and the mugshot used in the posts actually shows a man with a different name who…

Did DOGE find a nonprofit that was being paid $18 million per month? Yes, that's true: An NBC San Antonio investigation confirmed that a local nonprofit was being paid $18 million per month by the federal government for migrant family facilities, as the social media account of conservative media personality Laura Ingraham posted. The nonprofit said in a statement they…

Does a social media post stating "Never seen anyone fall off harder" show how Michelle Obama looks in March 2025? No, that's not true: The image in the viral social media post has been edited. The altered promotional Image for "IMO," a podcast featuring Michelle Obama and her older brother Craig Robinson, has the faces of the two hosts switched.…

Did DOGE discover that the General Services Administration has been paying Michelle Obama $122,000 per month since 2009? No, that's not true: The story originated on a website named "The Dunning-Kruger Times" which has a clear disclaimer it publishes satire. It is run by a man who runs a network of sites and Facebook pages designed to trick conservatives into…

Did a video circulating on social media show Russian President Vladimir Putin making a public statement about Russia's terms for a ceasefire in Ukraine in March 2025? No, that's not true: The clip had been online for nine months. It showed Putin's remarks from June 2024. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published on X on March 12,…