Michelle Obama

Is a photo posted on social media showing Taylor Swift wearing a T-shirt with an anti-Trump slogan on it authentic? No, that's not true: The image has been digitally altered. The original photos of Swift with a flowered headband in her hair were taken on the red carpet of the Time 100 Gala at Lincoln Center in New York City…

Did Donald Trump endorse a "$6,400 bonus" scheme before Christmas 2023? No, that's not true: Lead Stories could not find any evidence that the former president ever made any of the comments in a video making the claim, and it appears to be an AI-generated voice making the statements. There is no such federal program at the time of writing.…

Is the photo that shows Michelle Obama as "a man" authentic? No, that's not true: The image of Obama is doctored, making her features appear more masculine. She posted the picture with then-President Barack Obama on her official Instagram page in 2014 and it does not show her looking male. The claim appeared in a video on Instagram on December…

Did Barack and Michelle Obama visit "Epstein Island" and pose for a photo with their daughters with the iconic and blue and white striped building of Epstein Island in the background? No, that's not true: This photo has been altered to add the blue and white striped building. This old family photo, with a birthday greeting for Barack Obama, was…

Did former U.S. first lady Michelle Obama appear in a video promotion for a federal program giving out monthly $5,600 health spending cards to spend on bills, gas, groceries or "anything else you can think of"? No, that's not true: A video of Michelle Obama taken from a BBC interview has been altered with a fake voiceover that sounds like…

Are the tweets between Michelle Obama and Donald Trump about "destroying the country" and inviting "Mike" to play basketball real? No, that's not true: No such tweets from the former first lady's official account nor the former president's were published on August 30, 2019. The messages currently do not show up on the accounts, nor do they show up on…

Do former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama own an estate in Maui, Hawaii, and was that supposed Maui estate "spared from the fires" that affected Maui in early August 2023? No, that's not true: The Obamas do not own an estate in Maui, where the fires primarily spread. Rather, they are reportedly developing a property in Oahu,…

Was the Obamas' personal chef writing a tell-all book before his "mysterious death"? No, that's not true: There is no proof shown in a video making the claim that Tafari Campbell was writing a book about the former president and first lady at the time of his death near their Martha's Vineyard home. The video purports to be from "Inside…

Did Bloomberg publish a story saying that former President Barack Obama was a "middle man" for the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein at J.P. Morgan? Did Obama help the disgraced financier to foster ties with the banking institution? No, that's not true: Bloomberg did not write anything remotely similar in August 2023. The claim on social media distorted a Bloomberg…

Did then-President Barack Obama refer to his wife Michelle as "Michael" during a speech in 2011? No, that's not true: He was talking about Navy Adm. Mike Mullen's son then-Lt. Michael Edward Mullen. This clip takes a moment from a speech out of context. Obama was listing the members of Adm. Mullen's family during a September 30, 2011, Change of…