Fact Check

Is a photo of Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham standing with Osama Bin Laden real? No, that's not true: The image was digitally altered from a real photo of McCain and Graham standing with Afghanistan's president Hamid Karzai in July 2013. The fake version showing al-Qaida founder Osama Bin Laden began circulating after McCain's 2018 death as a way…

Did Elon Musk send a cryptic tweet with the hashtag "#PIGFOOT" on June 6, 2025 following his public falling-out with President Trump? No, that's not true: A screenshot of such a tweet, including the message "Tomorrow 3PM PST #PIGFOOT", appears to have been fabricated and does not appear on Musk's X account. It was also not indexed by search engines.…

Do viral screenshots prove that U.S. taxpayers paid $411,634.00 for Senator Lindsey Graham's hotel stay in Kyiv, Ukraine, in May 2025? No, that's not true: His name is not linked to the spending documented in the images. The Department of State told Lead Stories that the screenshot of the agency's government contract in Ukraine had nothing to do with congressional…

Does a cropped screenshot of a Google Trends chart of search term usage prove Tesla owners were "scrambling to remove their anti Elon stickers" on June 5, 2025, the day Musk began to publicly feud with Donald Trump? No, that's not true: The screenshot is fake and does not show actual data. Looking the past seven days of data, June…

Was U.S. President Donald Trump's account on X blocked again in the aftermath of the public feud with the platform's owner Elon Musk on June 5, 2025? No, that's not true: The account was still active, as of this writing. The screenshot that resurfaced on social media showed what Trump's account looked like in 2021 - after he had been…

Did Fox News refer to President Donald Trump as "Former president" on their website? Yes, that's true: The phrase appeared in the subheading of a breaking news story about the allegations Elon Musk had been making against Trump. The subheader read "Former president reveals he asked billionaire to leave position after months of tension". It appeared in an article (archived…

Did Donald Trump announce he is imposing a 300% penalty on landlords who raise rents excessively? No, that's not true: No White House news releases or videos corroborate that. The rumor arises from a fake news-style video providing no authentic quotes, links, interviews or other evidence Trump made such a proposal. The claim appeared on a June 3, 2025 TikTok…

Did Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr announce they are bringing The Beatles back to the U.S. with a reunion tour? No, that's not true: No announcement can be found anywhere in the news media, on the artists' websites, or with online ticketing websites. The post making the claim used an AI-generated image, which would not be expected in an official…

Did the man suspected of murdering a South African-born woman in Virginia come to the United States as a refugee in the spring of 2025? No, that's not true: The suspect is an American citizen, according to the victim's brother. He told Lead Stories that when married, the couple settled in the U.S. before Donald Trump's second presidency. The claim…

Does a viral post of a white mushroom cloud authentically capture the June 2, 2025 eruption of Mt. Etna? No, that's not true: That image first circulated in 2015. Authentic photos of the 2025 eruption show clouds of a different shape and color, but no symmetrical white mushroom cloud. The image appeared in a June 3, 2025 Facebook post (archived…

Did President Trump delete his June 4, 2025, Truth Social post discussing his phone call Russian President Vladimir Putin? No, that's not true: The post was still visible on Trump's timeline as of 12 p.m. ET on June 5, 2025. Lead Stories confirmed this 22 hours after it was initially posted and 17 hours after the false claim was posted…

Did the judge in the sex trafficking trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs issue an arrest warrant for Ellen DeGeneres in May 2025? No, that's not true: The claim appeared in a YouTube video whose description labeled it "entirely fictional and crafted solely for entertainment." Despite widespread and intensive news coverage, no outlet covering the trial has mentioned any involvement by…

Does a viral image show three actual Russian TU-95 bombers and an unknown fourth plane damaged in a Ukrainian drone strike? No, that's not true: Some detection tools say the image shows strong evidence of being forged or synthesized using artificial intelligence. The image also contains tell-tale details that do not match with other photographs of such planes, including elements…

Did the International Federation of Football (FIFA) move the World Cup 2026 from the United States because of President Trump's strict immigration policies? No, this is not true: As of June 4, 2025, FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, have not announced any changes to the hosting arrangement for the tournament, which will be held for the first time in…

Did the Rockport County Sheriff say he would ask a grand jury to indict former FBI director James Comey on state terroristic threats charges? 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. Also, there…

Was the latest book by Kamala Harris yanked from the shelves after it was found to be 30% plagiarized? No, that's not true: The former vice president has authored three books as of June 2025, including the last two published in 2019. Each of those books is still available for purchase online and in bookstores. Her first book, which was…

Did a federal judge order Michelle Obama to hand over "her financials from her time as First Lady" to DOGE? No, that's not true: That story originated on a satirical Facebook page. The owner of the page is known for tricking conservatives into liking and sharing made-up content. The image appeared in a post (archived here) with a meme published…

Did U.S. President Donald Trump complain on social media that Ukraine's attacks on Russia interfere with his sleep? No, that's not true: A search across his account on Truth Social did not produce a match to the image a viral post purported to have taken from his account. Searches across an archived version of his account and news reports did…

Did Chick-Fil-A drop a new advertisement for Pride Month 2025 that includes the slogan "Our pickles don't touch. Just like God intended."? No, that's not true: The ad is a fake and has circulated online for several years. There is no trace of it in the news or on the company's website. Lead Stories reached out for comment but has…

Did a video shared in June 2025 show a man threatening to kill ICE agents and telling them "I'll put a bullet in y'all fucking head"? No, that's not true: The off-screen voice in fact said the ICE agents should shoot themselves, and called their actions a "God damn shame." The off-screen voice did say that U.S. citizens would "start…