Dunning-Kruger

Were there actual news reports about Nancy Pelosi's vineyard receiving $14 million from USAID for "experimental farming"? No, that's not true: The story originated in a meme from a satirical Facebook page. The owner of the page is known for tricking conservatives into liking and sharing made-up content. The meme appeared in a Facebook post (archived here) published by the…

Was Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde removed from the National Cathedral by the Episcopal Archdiocese of Washington after she angered newly elected President Donald Trump during the inaugural prayer service? No, that's not true: A spokesperson for the Washington National Cathedral told Lead Stories that Budde "very much remains the Episcopal Bishop of Washington." This story came from a self-described satirical…

Did an international court charge Dr. Anthony Fauci with 2,967,108 counts of murder? No, that's not true: A headline making that claim originated on The Dunning-Kruger Times, a site with a satire disclaimer. The article itself contained several hints it was all satirical and meant to troll those who just shared the headline. The headline appeared in an article published…

Did President Trump redirect $2 billion meant for welfare programs for undocumented immigrants to the residents of North Carolina during the first week of his second term in 2025? No, that's not true: This claim is from a self-described satirical source. The Facebook page where the claim appeared included a bio that read, in part, "Nothing on this page is…

Did actor Keanu Reeves refuse to present actress Whoopi Goldberg with the Lifetime Achievement award, saying, "She's not a good person"? No, that's not true: This information came from a self-described satirical website that includes the disclaimer, "Everything on this website is fiction." A representative of Reeves also told Lead Stories that this is "absolutely false." The claim appeared in…

Did an Oprah Winfrey charity called "Coats for Kids" take in over $140 million while only purchasing "310 jackets" as of December 2024? No, that's not true: The information in this post initially appeared in an article on a self-described satirical website that includes the disclaimer, "Everything on this website is fiction." Even so, some social media users shared the…

Did New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft announce there will be no "anthem kneeling" at Gillette Stadium ever again? No, that's not true: This post came from a self-described satirical Facebook account. The website attached to this account has a disclaimer that says, "Nothing on this page is real." Lead Stories could not locate any credible evidence that Kraft made…

Did Kyle Rittenhouse register a lien on Whoopi Goldberg's Malibu, California, home for $22 million? No, that's not true: This claim is from a self-described satire website. The article also uses two made-up names that commonly appear on this website. The claim appeared in an article (archived here) by The Dunning-Kruger Times on July 8, 2023. It began: When Kyle…

Did Kroger, Food Lion and Publix all announce a 4 percent price cut across the board since Donald Trump won the 2024 U.S. presidential election? No, that's not true: This post came from a self-described satirical Facebook account. The website attached to this account has a disclaimer that says, "Nothing on this page is real." The claim appeared in a…

Did MSNBC host Rachel Maddow break down crying and run off the set due to the results of the 2024 U.S. presidential election? No, that's not true: This post came from a self-described satirical Facebook account. The website attached to this account has a disclaimer that says, "Nothing on this page is real." The post appeared on Facebook on November…