2024 Presidential Election

Did inflation "since Biden and Kamala took over" cause a New York City barbershop owner to experience unusually high electric bills, as a post on social media says? No, that's not true: A spokesperson for Con Edison, the utility company that provides power to New York City residents, told Lead Stories the barber's recent bill was in error and that…

Did The Atlantic magazine publish an article titled, "TRUMP IS LITERALLY HITLER"? No, that's not true: The Atlantic put out a statement saying they did not publish this article. One of the accounts on social media that said the magazine had published such an article stated that its post was "satire." A reverse image search for the alleged article did…

Does a viral post on social media prove that the total size of undocumented populations in seven states has increased by triple-digit percentages between 2021 and 2024? No, that's not true: The chart shared online didn't reflect the correct updated totals and one column referred to court filings in immigration courts, not total populations. Court filing numbers do not represent…

Did McDonald's issue a statement on October 20, 2024, that stated Kamala Harris had never worked at a McDonald's franchise? No, that's not true: McDonald's never issued such a statement. Instead, an October 20, 2024, internal memo attributed to McDonald's acknowledges, without refuting, "Vice President Harris's fond memories working under the Arches." The claim appeared in a post (archived here)…

Did a leaked Fox News memo say interviewers used Vicks VapoRub to mask Donald Trump's purportedly offensive odor? No, that's not true: The account on X that wrote about the memo describes its content as satire and comedy. No credible news sources reported on such a leaked memo. The document does not exist. The claim originated from a post (archived…

Is Donald Trump banned from voting in Florida because of his felony conviction? No, that's not true: Florida allows felons to vote if their conviction took place in another state that has no such ban. Trump was convicted in New York state, where felons are allowed to cast their ballots if they are not in prison. Trump has yet to…

Did Donald Trump sit on a black towel during his appearance on "Fox & Friends" on October 18, 2024? No, that's not true: When Trump sat on a couch for an interview, material from his dark suit jacket fanned out on both sides. There was no other material visible on the couch with him. The claim appeared in a post…

Does a video clip going viral on social media show Vice President Kamala Harris intoxicated while speaking about being "a joyful warrior"? No, that's not true: In the original video Harris can be heard speaking normally. Multiple AI detection tools found there was a high likelihood that this clip has been manipulated. The video was altered to make Harris sound…

Does an authentic video show former Minnesota high school student "Matthew Metro" alleging that Tim Walz sexually assaulted him? No, that's not true: According to multiple AI video and audio detection tools, the video circulating on social media of "Matthew Metro" was AI generated. There's no credible evidence or verified reports supporting the allegation that the Minnesota governor and Democratic…

Did Melania Trump declare that she wants a divorce from Donald Trump in a 2024 "October surprise"? No, that's not true: There is no evidence Melania Trump said she wanted to divorce her husband, the former president of the United States, in October 2024 amid the presidential race. No credible news sites have reported that she made this declaration; her…