Is Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro being charged with the attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Butler on July 13, 2024? No, that's not true: The district attorney of Butler County told Lead Stories that Shapiro "HAS NOT been charged with anything connected to the assassination attempt." The DA added: "I do not believe the Governor was at all involved in…
Does a genuine U.S. government document show that Rafael Cruz, Sen. Ted Cruz's father, was involved in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy? No, that's not true: The document is fake. The real record contains a report from Swiss police regarding Lee Harvey Oswald's plan to study at a school in Switzerland. The document appeared in a post (archived…
Have investigators been unable to unlock the phone of Thomas Matthew Crooks, the gunman in the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, as of January 6, 2025? No, that's not true: The FBI announced in July 2024 that they had successfully unlocked his phone. Using advanced forensic tools, their experts bypassed the phone's security and accessed messages, data and other information…
Was Samuel Hyde named as the suspect in the shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO? No, that's not true: Sam, or Samuel, Hyde is a comedian whose name and likeness have been the subject of internet memes associated with shootings since 2015. One of the photos of a person of interest released by the New York Police Department was edited to…
Did President-elect Donald Trump release a statement ordering the Dallas police to prepare to make an arrest over John F. Kennedy's assassination? No, that's not true: The image that mimics a Trump/Vance Transition press release is fake. A search of Trump's Truth Social account did not find any matching statement. There are no credible news reports of him ordering the…
Does a viral image authentically show Donald Trump sitting next to Thomas Matthew Crooks, who is accused of shooting at Trump during a presidential campaign rally on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania? No, that's not true: The image shows signs that are consistent with generative AI technology. The image did not appear in credible news coverage of that assassination…
Was Ryan Routh filmed at a Kamala Harris rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, three days before he was arrested for allegedly plotting to assassinate Donald Trump? No, that's not true: The man in the video posted on social media has multiple facial features that differ from Routh's mugshot. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police also say they are not investigating any cases involving Routh.…
Did federal prosecutors release an alleged assassin's bounty letter targeting Donald Trump because they "all want him dead"? No, that's not true: A handwritten letter allegedly by accused gunman Ryan Routh offering $150,000 to "whomever can complete the job" was included as part of the government's motion to keep him behind bars until trial. Other prosecutors say it's standard procedure…
Does a screenshot show an authentic Instagram account belonging to Ryan Wesley Routh, the man accused of an apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at Trump's golf course? No, that's not true: A spokesperson for Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, told Lead Stories the account is fake. Any copycat accounts will be removed, the spokesperson said, in…
Were explosive devices discovered at the site of a Donald Trump campaign event on September 18, 2024, on Long Island, New York? No, that's not true: Law enforcement denied the rumor. The police statement said that a person "training a bomb detection dog" near the event's location had made a false report. The claim about explosive devices appeared in a…
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