Barack Obama

Was Ruth Bader Ginsburg "nominated and confirmed 43 days before an election"? No, that's not true: Ginsburg was nominated and confirmed in 42 days (not 43) in 1993 -- which was not an election year. The previous year, 1992, was an election year, in which Bill Clinton won for the first time. Approximately eight months into his first term, he…

Are "pedophilia code words" contained within a conversation about Joe Biden that took place between Kamala Harris and Barack Obama? No, that's not true: The alleged coded language is based on a fake FBI document. Lead Stories tracked down the real bulletin, which makes no mention of code words. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) published on Instagram…

Does a photo show high gas prices that were from "the last time Biden was in office"? No, that's not true. A photo has gone viral showing regular, plus and premium gas prices all above $5.00 with the claim that it was taken the "last time" Joe Biden was in office. But the photograph was taken in March 2008 when…

Did Donald Trump tweet "Obama should wait until he leaves office to pick another Justice! If he doesn't, he should be fired!" in April 2016 about an election year Supreme Court vacancy? No, that's not true. This is a fake tweet that Trump never sent, according to the archive of his tweets. The fake tweet is gaining traction amid the…

Do photos of former President Barack Obama and George Clooney with a young girl show them acting inappropriately? No, that's not true: The girl in Obama's lap is the former president's niece and the photo was taken by the White House photographer. The photos of Obama and Clooney in a boat were taken during a vacation in Italy. Other photos…

Did TIME Magazine feature a cover of Barack Obama in an electric chair? No, that's not true: This is a fake cover that never actually appeared on any issue of the magazine. Since Donald Trump's election to office, the TIME Magazine archives do not feature this image on the cover. The claim appeared in a Facebook post (archived here) where…

Has former U.S. President George W. Bush said he supports the Democratic presidential ticket of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris? No, that's not true: While Bush has said he would not support Donald Trump's reelection campaign, he has not endorsed Biden and Harris, as of September 5, 2020. The claim appeared in a meme in a post shared on August…

Did the media fail to report the deaths of 11 Marines in Afghanistan this week? No, that's not true: The deaths referred to all occurred in 2010. Only two were Marines. News media reported on each of the deaths at the time. They did all happen in a single week: July 13-18, 2010. The story reappeared in a post (archived…

Was Donald Trump's Republican National Convention acceptance speech the first time the White House was used for a "purely political campaign event"? No, that's not true. In 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his nomination acceptance speech from the White House to the Democratic convention. He did so by radio for his unprecedented third term. And all presidents since Gerald…

Was Chadwick Boseman poisoned? No, that's not true: The actor best known for his starring role in "Black Panther" died of colon cancer. There is no investigation into his death. The claim appeared in an article (archived here) on August 29, 2020, on Toronto Today. Titled "AUTOPSY: Chadwick Boseman was POISONED, homicide investigation begins," it opened: Actor Chadwick Boseman died…