Elections

Did Oregon officials omit Donald Trump from a voters' pamphlet about candidates in the 2024 election for political reasons? No, that's not true: Trump's campaign chose not to submit information for the pamphlet, according to a statement from the Oregon GOP. A spokeswoman for Oregon's Secretary of State told Lead Stories that their office contacted the Trump campaign multiple times…

Did Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson say that noncitizens would be allowed to vote in the 2024 elections? No, that's not true: There's no evidence that Nelson opened voting to non-U.S. citizens. In an October 2024 election advisory, the Secretary of State's Office clarified that naturalized citizens already on the voting rolls could use a limited-term driver's license or…

Was voter turnout above 100 percent in 2020 in some precincts of Henrico County, Virginia? No, that's not true: Data in a social media post inaccurately added county-level absentee ballots to precinct counts using a mathematical estimate. The county director of elections told Lead Stories that the assertion about impossible turnouts is "incorrect." Counties are not concealing precinct data by…

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…

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 a viral video show a driver actually getting a flat tire after deliberately running over a Trump 2024 yard sign? No, that's not true: This video is a comedy sketch by someone who labels themselves a video creator on their YouTube channel. The "About" section of their channel also mentions how many TV shows their videos have appeared on.…

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 actor Bill Murray endorse Donald Trump for president in October 2024, calling him "such a different character"? No, that's not true: The quote attributed to Murray is from an interview he gave in 2016 when he was discussing the novelty of Trump becoming president. There are no actual news reports that Murray endorsed Trump in October 2024 for president.…

Is a social media post from a supposed California Republican congressman called Jack Kimble about the "liberal" media ignoring the U.S. vice presidential debate an authentic, predebate post? No, that's not true: There is no Jack Kimble who represents California or any other state in the U.S. House of Representatives. The post originally appeared on a self-described parody account from…

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…

Can non-U.S. citizens use a driver's license to vote in U.S. elections as an X post suggested Haitian immigrants in Springfield are doing? No, that's not true: Only U.S. citizens who are older than 18 and have registered to vote can vote in the presidential election, according to the Ohio Laws and Administrative Rules website and the U.S. government website.…

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…