2024 U.S. Elections

Does a social media graphic showing overwhelming support among veterans for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris reflect the results of an authentic Fox News poll? No, that's not true: A spokeswoman for Fox News told Lead Stories the image is fake. She said Fox News has not published such a poll. The graphic appeared in a post (archived here) on…

Was Donald Trump caught on tape during a Fox News commercial break, saying that someone who is called into war is a "dumbfuck redneck" and that volunteering for military service is "stupid"? No, that's not true: This recording is fake -- it originated from a parody account. It appears that a human voice actor impersonated Donald Trump in this recording,…

Did Tim Walz respond to conservative commentator Ann Coulter on X after she described his son's behavior at the Democratic National Convention as "weird"? No, that's not true: A screenshot of this supposed response shows signs of digital manipulation. Lead Stories found no evidence confirming that Walz ever responded to Coulter on X. The claim appeared in a post (archived…

Did the state of Minnesota enact a policy that put tampons in "10 year old boys bathrooms" while Tim Walz was governor? No, that's not true: The Minnesota statute does not mention boys-only bathrooms, and school districts said free menstrual products go to female-only and designated gender-neutral bathrooms. The state Department of Education said they haven't told any schools to…

Did Kamala Harris snub Ashley Biden by "refusing to stand" during a round of applause after remarks delivered by President Joe Biden's daughter on the first night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention? No, that's not true: It's a typical response of a person being honored to remain seated, an expert on public speaking told Lead Stories. The context of…

Are two images of a scantly clad woman genuine old photos of Vice President Kamala Harris, suggesting she was a sex worker in the past? No, that's not true: Harris began her professional career working in California legal offices. Inconsistencies in fingers, shadows and backgrounds in the photos are telltale signs of AI origin. The images only appeared online after…

Did Hope Walz, daughter of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, receive $82,000 in student loan forgiveness despite her parents being worth $138 million? No, that's not true: The claim originates from a website that clearly labels its work as satire, parody and fiction. The claim is not based on any factual evidence, nor is her parents' reported net worth anywhere near…

Did a viral video authentically document enforcing COVID-19 lockdowns in Minnesota in 2020 on orders of Gov. Tim Walz? No, that's not true: The video showing law enforcement using what appear to be paintball guns was taken when state authorities imposed curfews and mobilized the National Guard in response to the aftermath of that year's George Floyd protests. The person…

Did the Kamala Harris campaign produce an AI image of a fake rally crowd and then distribute that picture? No, that's not true: The image in question was first published on the internet by a self-described parody account not affiliated with her campaign. That parody account subsequently posted again to say that the picture was "generated with AI." Lead Stories…

Did Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz sign a bill "allowing gender reassignment surgery for children"? No, that's not true: No state law sets a specific minimum age for gender-affirming surgical interventions, a Minnesota lawmaker told Lead Stories. Major health care providers do not operate on people under 18. One bill signed into law protects youth access to those services discussed in…