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Did Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz and second gentleman Douglas Emhoff get their orders for free from an Arizona cafe, as implied by a video on X? No, that's not true: A cafe manager told Lead Stories that the group's tab was "paid by phone." Furthermore, in the posted video footage, Walz's daughter, Hope Walz, acknowledged the tab, saying,…

Did Univision "accidentally broadcast proof" that Kamala Harris was reading scripted responses from a teleprompter during her live town hall on the network? No, that's not true: Univision's footage repeatedly shows Harris responding to questions from the audience when there was no teleprompter nearby. Both the town hall moderator, Enrique Acevedo, and Univision News President Daniel Coronell have posted statements…

Is a dramatic photo of a tearful young girl in a boat clutching a puppy after Hurricane Helene real? No, that's not true: The AI detector TrueMedia found "substantial evidence" that the image was created using an AI image generator. There is also no evidence the photo appeared in any news coverage about the rescue efforts after the storm nor…

Does an audio recording show that a FEMA official said "We plan to execute between 70 and 80 ... We plan to evacuate between 70 and 80,000 people"? No, that's not true: This quote was said by Lloyd Austin, then the U.S. Secretary of Defense, when he misspoke in a 2021 congressional hearing about the Afghanistan withdrawal. Austin used the…

Was the Army's 82nd Airborne Division not deployed to help Hurricane Helene victims as of October 3, 2024, as a post on Instagram Threads claimed? No, that's not true: President Joe Biden announced the immediate deployment of 1,000 active-duty troops on October 2, 2024, which included troops from the 82nd Airborne Division. It also included other units from Fort Liberty,…

Does a policy of the Federal Emergency Management Agency direct it to help "white people last" in 2024? No, that's not true: The document mentioning FEMA's "equity" goal cited on social media as proof says nothing about that. The agency has denied such accusations multiple times. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on Threads on October 4, 2024.…

Did the Kamala Harris campaign release a video ad depicting a boy in makeup, necklace and dress trashing his home as part of the campaign's efforts to push abortion rights? No, that's not true: The video was produced three years ago for a U.K. home-insurance company's marketing campaign and has nothing to do with Kamala Harris or abortion. The company…

Does the closure of airspace in North Carolina for the visits of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris halt the Hurricane Helene rescue missions? No, that's not true: A Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson told Lead Stories that pilots involved in "aid and assistance" for hurricane recovery can fly through restricted areas if they plan the flight with air…

Did Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee refuse to ask President Joe Biden and the federal government for help after Hurricane Helene? No, that's not true: The governor requested an emergency declaration on September 27, 2024. It was approved the next day, which opened up federal aid. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on X, formerly known as Twitter, on…

Is "unburdened by what has been," part of a phrase often used by Vice President Kamala Harris, drawn from a quote by philosopher Karl Marx? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that Marx publicly made such a statement in his lifetime. Harris has not credited Marx with the phrase. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published…

Are two Pennsylvania Republicans who appeared in pro-Kamala Harris campaign spots really "trained actors" who donated to Democratic causes for years? No, that's not true: The Democratic donations came from people with similar names but who live in different parts of Pennsylvania. The woman who is in the Harris ad confirmed to Lead Stories, "Both my husband and I are…

Was Ryan Routh filmed at a Kamala Harris rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, three days before he was arrested for allegedly plotting to assassinate Donald Trump? No, that's not true: The man in the video posted on social media has multiple facial features that differ from Routh's mugshot. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police also say they are not investigating any cases involving Routh.…

Did Kamala Harris let 500,000 criminals, including 15,000 rapists and 13,000 murderers, into the United States and they are now "roaming the country"? No, that's not true: A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told Lead Stories that the "data goes back decades" and is being "misinterpreted." Most of these individuals did not arrive during the Biden-Harris administration, according to Immigration…

Did an authentic photo show former President Donald Trump wading through hurricane flood waters? No, that's not true: An AI-detection tool from True Media found substantial evidence that the image was generated with AI. Media coverage of Trump's visit to Valdosta, Georgia, on the same day the post was made does not show him wearing the same clothes as in…

Does a video show Kamala Harris and Tim Walz posing in front of a real "Revolutionary Communists of America" poster? No, that's not true: The poster in the video has been digitally altered as the original footage from a campaign event in Phoenix, Arizona shows. Harris and Walz were standing in front of a sign that read, "Kamala and the…

Does a video show Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz "flipping off" a heckler at a Michigan football game? No, that's not true: A still photo taken at the same event shows that Walz was pointing his index finger at bystanders. His middle digit remained firmly folded in his hand. The claim appeared in a video on X (archived here)…

Do social media posts prove that Donald Trump "donated $25 million" to the victims of Hurricane Helene? No, that's not true: These posts offer no supporting evidence. Lead Stories found no reports that confirmed such a donation, including on Trump's account on Truth Social and his campaign website. He did post a link to a crowdfunding campaign where his supporters…

Did Montana leave Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris off the 2024 ballot, as social media posts claim? That lacks some context: Harris has been a registered candidate in Montana for U.S. president since August 2024, according to state records. Montana's Electronic Absentee System, which can be used by Montana-registered military and civilian voters abroad, initially omitted Harris' name from its…

Does a photo show Tim Walz and his wife Gwen cheering at a football game while there were no players on the field? No, that's not true: A play was happening on the other end of the football field, outside the scope of the photo. The University of Michigan was playing against the University of Minnesota on September 28, 2024,…

Does a video on social media show Vice President Kamala Harris receiving audio through the same earrings she wore at the September 10, 2024, presidential debate? No, that's not true: Harris can be seen receiving audio through an in-ear monitor common in TV interviews. The earrings in this video are different from the ones she wore during the debate, and…