Election

Did Donald Trump announce in a Time magazine interview that "he'd force every pregnant woman to submit to constant government monitoring" to ensure they don't have an abortion? No, that's not true: The former president outlined many other plans for the next term if he is re-elected, but this specific proposition was not one he explicitly argued for in the…

Did the social media platform Truth Social shut down as of May 3, 2024, as claimed in a post on the Threads social media platform? No, that's not true: Truth Social has not experienced any widespread disruptions in service since May 3, 2024. As of May 9, 2024, the platform was functioning as usual. The claim originated in a post…

Did the Biden administration have unfettered access for a large portion of 2021 to Donald Trump's transition documents and papers that were later shipped from storage near Washington, D.C., to Mar-a-Lago in Florida? No, that's not true: The General Services Administration, which provides transition support for outgoing presidents, told Lead Stories that the documents were "accessible only to the former…

Did the Democratic Party propose to change the U.S. flag to "make it more inclusive," as of early May 2024? No, that's not true: Lead Stories found no evidence on the party's official platform website or social media channels, or in news coverage that the party had announced such intentions. A Google News search found no credible documents or reporting…

Do two photos posted to social media accurately document that Donald Trump kisses both his wife and his daughter on the mouth, the latter more warmly? No, that's not true: Although there is no evidence of photo manipulation, neither photo fully captures either of the kisses. In both cases, Donald Trump was photographed in the process of planting a peck…

Did Boeing send a "hit squad" to murder two whistleblowers who raised safety alarms about Boeing aircraft? No, that's not true: As of this writing, no credible sources confirmed foul play in the deaths of these two men. While inquiries into both deaths are still ongoing, available information about the causes of death points to illness and suicide. The claim…

Did Japan declare a state of emergency over a purported increase in cancer deaths linked to COVID-19 vaccines? No, that's not true: No government websites in Japan or credible news organizations published anything about the purported "emergency" in 2024. The article that made the claim failed to cite any corroborating sources. The claim originated from an article (archived here) published…

Did 46 of 50 states recount their votes from the 2020 election and confirm that Joe Biden lost the vote in their state? No, that's not true: There were four states that conducted recounts or had legal challenges of the 2020 presidential election results, and none overturned the results that Biden won the presidential election against Donald Trump in 2020.…

Did the Country Music Hall of Fame make a statement announcing that it would not consider Taylor Swift for induction because her music "is bubblegum, not country"? No, that's not true: The story came from a satirical website but then was reposted on social media without a disclaimer indicating that it was not a real news article. Lead Stories found…

Did Dr. Oz promote a weight-loss "coffee trick" endorsed by Adele? No, that's not true: A viral video making the claim utilized AI-generated sound. Lead Stories found no evidence confirming that Dr. Oz ever promoted this "coffee trick" or that Adele ever endorsed it. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on Facebook on the page named "Transforming Women"…