Deep State

Is an image of a smiling man in a combat uniform holding an American flag a real photo of a U.S. F-15 crew member after his rescue from Iran? No, that's not true: An AI content detection tool determined the image was AI-generated. The fake image fooled some people on social media, including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who reposted it…

Did President Donald Trump post a warning on his Truth Social account on Easter morning, April 5, 2026, that the United States would soon attack Iran's power plants and bridges and demanding that Iran "Open the Fuckin' Strait"? Yes, that's true: While it is not unusual for fake Trump posts to be widely shared on social platforms, Lead Stories confirmed…

Did California Gov. Gavin Newsom criticize Nick Shirley, or did Sen. John Neely Kennedy criticize Adam Schiff, saying "Lock him up for lying to Congress, abusing power, and betraying the public trust!"? No, that's not true: Nearly identical stories mentioning those and other names were published by a network of foreign websites and Facebook pages. A search of Google News…

Did movie star Sylvester Stallone say that he will cover all the expenses of Chuck Norris' funeral and "fulfill these three wishes on his behalf"? No, that's not true: The viral clip about this on social media used AI to alter Stallone's words. The opening frame of the purported statement predated Norris' passing by ten days. The claim appeared in…

Does a viral video on social media prove that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi publicly said she no longer wants to "set foot in the United States again" after Trump's Pearl Harbor comment, made in her presence? No, that's not true: The viral clip appeared to use AI-generated audio to create the illusion that she said what she never did.…

Does an actual Truth Social post by President Donald Trump threaten to use weapons of mass destruction against Iran? No, that's not true: Even though a viral image claims to show one, there is no such post on his Truth Social account. There are also no news reports of such a threat coming from the White House, which, if it…

Did Chuck Norris die on March 19, 2026? Yes, that's true: His family released the statement cited by multiple credible media organizations. Previously, the actor had been the subject of multiple death hoaxes. The news was reported in an article (archived here) published by the AP on March 20, 2026, under the title: Chuck Norris, martial arts master and actor…

Did Carol Burnett and other celebrities say Donald Trump "has been abused and lied about since taking office" and "stood like a lion against a pack of jackals"? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that Burnett and the others ever said that about Trump. The claim was an example of so-called "Viet Spam" campaigns of nearly identical made-up…

Is a video showing Erling Haaland, a Manchester City footballer, reciting the shahada, the Islamic declaration of faith, and converting to Islam, real? No, that's not true: An online AI video detection tool determined that the clip is 100% "likely to be AI-Generated." A separate also tool found that the video showed signs of having been created or modified using…

Is a video showing a Politico report claiming Germany is preparing to take in 400,000 Palestinian refugees real? No, that's not true: There are no reports from Politico or any other news organization that Germany plans to take in hundreds of thousands of refugees, Palestinian or otherwise. In addition, an online AI detection tool determined that the audio in the…