Pizzagate

Did the actor Mark Wahlberg declare war on "Hollywood pedophiles" in July 2023, announcing that they have "nowhere left to hide"? No, that's not true: The purported quote came from a source with a rich history of spreading false statements, and the actor's representative refuted the claim. Lead Stories found no evidence that the purported event ever took place. The…

Do pictures from former President Donald Trump's and President Joe Biden's inaugural ceremonies represent an adequate comparison between the respective popularity of the two presidents? No, that's not true: The photos were taken under dramatically different circumstances, making such a comparison irrelevant. Unlike Trump's inauguration, which was more in line with standard protocol for presidential inaugurations, Biden's inaugural committee had…

Does a photo circulating on social media show President Joe Biden "fondling" a child? No, that's not true: The image was digitally altered. The claim appeared in a tweet (archived here) published by the @realstewpeters account on December 30, 2022. It contained a picture showing Biden interacting with a toddler. The tweet said: What the EFF am I looking at…

Was an American flag with no stars behind former President Donald Trump at a rally and does such a flag mean those that refuse to surrender will face "total annihilation"? No, that's not true: The lighting in the image may appear to be obscuring the stars but multiple photographs from news sites and photo agencies from the rally where the…

Did Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Joe Biden's Supreme Court nominee, preside over the Pizzagate sentencing hearing? Yes, that's true: In 2017, then-U.S. District Judge Jackson sentenced the Pizzagate gunman to four years in prison for the 2016 attack. She told him that his actions "literally left psychological wreckage." The gunman has since been released from prison but has not done…

Did House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and many others make confessions in military tribunals? No, that's not true: A video does not show a military tribunal with Pelosi and Schumer on trial. Instead, it's a photograph of Pelosi and Schumer at the U.S. Capitol in 2020 overlaid with audio of people talking about conspiracy theories regarding…

Was former White House Chief of Staff John Podesta executed at the U.S. government's prison facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba? No, that's not true: The claim is "false," the Department of Defense told Lead Stories. The claim was published without on-the-record attribution to knowledgeable sources or any other evidence, and without specific disclaimers saying whether the article is fiction, parody…

Does a video prove that "final moves against the deep state" are happening now? No, that's not true: Many of the conspiracy theories claimed in the video are false. Donald Trump is not still president or "in charge," the London 2012 Olympics did not foreshadow the coronavirus outbreak and John McCain and George H.W. Bush were not found guilty by…

Does the film "Out of Shadows" prove a child-raping satanic cult controls the U.S. government and Hollywood, and operated out of a Washington, D.C., pizza parlor? No, that's not true: The film declares that the lid came off in a leading Democrat's leaked emails, in which "pizza" is used as secret code for child sex. But the filmmakers provide nothing…

Was Hillary Clinton convicted by a military tribunal on April 16, 2021? No, that's not true. "The story is false," the Defense Department press operations duty officer told Lead Stories via email on April 16, 2021.There is no military tribunal or trial being held where the former secretary of state is being prosecuted for crimes at the Guantanamo Bay Prison.…