Donald Trump

Was "Justice Engoron," the judge who is overseeing former President Donald Trump's civil trial, drinking from a Tanqueray gin bottle during a hearing? No, that's not true: The bottle seen on Judge Arthur Engoron's bench is a bottle of Mountain Valley Spring water, as sold at Walmart and other outlets. The label and lid on the bottle match the green…

Are cancers appearing in "ways never before seen" following vaccination for COVID-19? No, that's not true: There is no scientific evidence to suggest that COVID vaccines cause or lead to the development of cancer in unprecedented ways. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has also stated, "There are no data that suggest that COVID-19 vaccines cause cancer, lead…

Did Reuters publish 2024 presidential election polling numbers that heavily favored former president and current candidate Donald Trump? No, that's not true: Reuters has debunked the fake numbers and a map associated with the numbers. The map was created on a website that allows users to design their own "election forecast." The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published…

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…

Does a Pennsylvania judge's ruling in a state civil suit that Donald Trump's false election claims while in office are covered by presidential immunity also apply to his four criminal cases? No, that's not true: A law school professor called the claim in a video "misleading," telling Lead Stories that the "ruling did not find that former President Trump is…

Were 7 million people registered to vote in the 2020 general election in Wisconsin when only 4.5 million were eligible voters? No, that's not true: There were more than 3.9 million registered voters and an estimated 4.5 million eligible voters in that election, a Wisconsin Election Commission (WEC) representative told Lead Stories. A version of the claim made by former…

Did "enthusiastic crowds" chant "We want Trump" at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis while he spoke in Jacksonville, Florida? No, that's not true: The audio in one of the three videos in this post has been edited. While DeSantis was heckled at an event in Jacksonville in August 2023, the original video shows him being booed without the crowd mentioning former…

Was Hillary Clinton executed on December 31, 2018? No, that's not true: The former U.S. senator and secretary of state has been seen numerous times since that date in public settings. She has been photographed, videotaped and given live interviews that prove that she was alive, as of September 1, 2023. The claim appeared in a video (archived here) on…

Did Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump pose for a photo in a room that has surgical bone saws hanging on the walls? No, that's not true: The image of the couple has been doctored and the bone saws have been added to the photo, likely as a commentary on Kushner's business relationship with Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman al Saud,…

Is former President Donald Trump facing the possibility of the death penalty in the four indictments against him? No, that's not true: Lead Stories spoke to three legal experts who told us that none of the charges against Trump carries the death penalty if convicted. While one charge, "Conspiracy against rights," can be eligible for the death penalty, that's only…