2024 U.S. Elections

Did Hamas announce that it was ending its role in the conflict with Israel in response to Donald Trump's election win, as implied in a social media post? No, that's not true: In the Newsweek article included in the post, a Hamas spokesperson called for "an immediate cessation of the aggression against our people, especially in Gaza" by Israel. Hamas…

Did CNN publish an article saying more than 75,000 voters wrote in "Hawk Tuah" or "Talk Tuah" on their ballot papers? No, that's not true: Searches of the cnn.com website turned up no headlines containing the vulgar "Hawk Tuah" expression. A CNN representative also confirmed to Lead Stories that the image in a social media post was a fake. The…

Did Vice President Kamala Harris announce that she would not attend "the presidential induction ceremony" after Donald Trump won the November 5, 2024, election? No, that's not true: In a concession speech on November 6, 2024, Harris stated that she would "help" Trump transition to the White House and "engage in a peaceful transfer of power." As of this writing,…

Did Jill Stein's vote total jeopardize Kamala Harris' chances of winning in Virginia? No, that's not true: Harris did win in Virginia. The vote total showing Donald Trump in the lead in a social media post was earlier on Election Day, with just 52 percent of the ballots counted. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on X on…

Could Kamala Harris have won Wisconsin if the votes cast for one of the independent candidates -- Jill Stein -- had gone to the Democrat? No, that's not true: That implication on social media was based on incomplete early totals. As more and more ballots were counted, Donald Trump's lead significantly outgrew the number of Stein's votes. The claim appeared…

Did election fraud occur when 60 people in Maricopa County, Arizona, registered to vote using a municipal building as their home address? No, that's not true: The Maricopa County public information officer told Lead Stories that the voters registered in this building, the West Court Building, do not have a permanent address and can use the courthouse as their address.…

Does a video showing Kamala Harris holding a phone with the camera app open prove that she faked a phone call, as a post on X said? No, that's not true: According to Apple user documents, having the camera app open while on an active call is entirely possible. Lead Stories tested this with an iPhone 14 Pro Max and…

Does a viral video discussing poll workers bringing "machines" to voters' cars prove "election cheating" in Florence, South Carolina? No, that's not true: The head of the local elections board told Lead Stories that the video is "misinformation." Voters with disabilities, the elderly and those who can't stand in line for a long time may vote using a curbside machine.…

Did the FBI and U.S. Department of Education release a video recommending that U.S. schools close until November 11, 2024, because of a significant increase in the risk of school shootings and riots during the presidential election? No, that's not true: The FBI has called the video "fake" and its contents "false." The U.S. Department of Education also has not…

Does a video prove the CIA identified 20 people who organized vote stuffing by using the identities of dead Americans who had lived in Europe? No, that's not true: The CIA told Lead Stories the allegation that they identified deceased Americans voting is "absolutel false." The video spreading the vote-stuffing story has substantial evidence of manipulation, an AI detector organization…